Future Dragon: Rose Long Season Two
by Fudogg
Summary: Season 2 of 10. Ever wondered what happened for Rose at the Huntsclan Academy before Jake showed up in "The Academy"? Rose is willing to share.
1. Chapter 1

Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Two)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Am Drag or any of the characters. Just this story and my OCs. **

Chapter/Episode 1: Back to the Academy

The dining hall had been completely deserted after everyone had eaten dinner. Only one person remained at the table, in Angela's old spot: Rose. Rose had her head down in her uneaten plate of food; it had yet to be touched. "Hey, there..." However, Rose slowly looked up from her plate and slowly turned her head to the side to see that Savannah had entered the room. Still in her human form, Savannah gave Rose a sad smile as she started to walk over to the table. "...Mind if I sit down?" She asked as she stopped right in front of the bench that Rose was sitting on.

"Go ahead..." Rose said, slowly turning her attention back to her food.

"Not hungry, I take it." Savannah guessed as she sat down next to Rose. "Oh, and Rose? Do me a favor and never tell Lexy I sat here."

"I can do that..." Rose promised as Savannah turned her head to the side.

"I'm really glad that you've decided to stay here with the team and be a part of it." Savannah said as Rose slowly turned her head to the side to look back at Savannah. "The whole team is." Savannah continued. "We're going to catch whoever did this." Smiling, Savannah put her hand on Rose's shoulder.

"Yeah..." Rose replied. "...Savannah, this is going to sound like an odd question..." As she said this, she slowly turned her head back to normal. "...But do you have a communication device on you?"

"Sure..." Savannah said, turning her head back to normal as well as she took her hand off of Rose's shoulder and reached down into her pocket. "...Any reason?"

"I want to call my sister..." Rose replied, slowly turning her head to the side as Savannah pulled her hand out of her pocket, holding a communication device, which she then reached over and set down in front of Rose as Rose continued to explain as she slowly turned her head back to normal. "...I just want to tell her not to worry about me. I want to tell her that I'm fine."

"Yeah, go ahead." Savannah smiled. "In fact, you should do that." Savannah nodded. "We wouldn't want your sister and husband to freak out, would we?"

"No." Rose agreed as she slowly picked up the device.

LINE BREAK

"Rose, I'm home." Daisy called as closed the door behind her. Taking one more step into the house, Daisy Pulled off her coat and simply dropped it on the ground. "Rose?" She asked, looking around the room, finding no sign of her twin.

"Hmm..." Daisy said to herself, starting to walk toward the stairs and once she reached them, she started to walk up them, disappearing up them, just as the communication device on the table next to the couch started to ring. After only one ring, the device answered itself, and a holographic image of Rose appeared.

"Hey, Daisy." She said. "I bet you've been wondering where I've been all day. I just wanted to let you know that I'm okay. I hope you tell Jake this as well. I know you don't like him very much, but I think he deserves to know that I'm okay. Also, I'm not going to be able to come home for quite some time. I just want you to know that when tomorrow comes, I'll be safe..."

LINE BREAK

"Rose?" Daisy asked, peeking into the room that belonged to her twin sister as she pushed open the door. Turning on the light, Daisy was surprised to see that Rose was nowhere to be seen. "Hmm." Daisy said to herself, switching off the light. "Maybe she did herself a favor and got out of the house." Then, Daisy turned around and walked away from the room.

LINE BREAK

By the time Daisy came back down the stairs, the message that Rose had left had come to an end, her holographic image having faded. Yawning, Daisy reached the couch and turned, sitting down. Then, she lied down on her side, moaning as she tried to get comfortable.

LINE BREAK

Sighing, Rose slowly lowered the communication device back down onto the table as a smiling Savannah patted her back. "I didn't get her." Rose muttered, slowly lowering her head.

"But she'll get the message." Savannah assured her.

Rose slowly nodded, knowing that it was the fact. Then, she slowly started to stand up. "You're going to bed?" Savannah asked as she turned her head to the side.

"Yeah." Rose answered as she slowly lifted one leg up and set it back down over the seat. She then started to lift up her other leg. "Seeing as I won't be getting any sleep after midnight tonight." She then slowly set her other leg down on the floor after bringing it slowly over the seat. She then slowly started to walk toward the door, only to stop when Savannah turned to the side in her seat.

"Oh, Rose!" She called out.

"Yeah?" Rose asked, slowly turning her head to the side.

"I almost forgot to ask..." Savannah asked as she got up from the table. "...If you want to be left alone tomorrow. Or...do you want me or someone else to check up on you and keep you company? Perhaps...even try to help alleviate some of the pain...?"

"Sure, Savannah..." Rose replied. "...I'd actually kind of like that. Even though I won't be able to know, it makes me feel better to have someone with me..."

"I'll be there..." Savannah promised. "...But for now..." She put a smile on her face as she started to walk up beside Rose, who slowly turned her attention back to the exit as Savannah reached her side. "...I need to show you to your new room."

LINE BREAK

"Angela's room?" Rose asked as she slowly followed Savannah into the newly lit room. "Really?"

"Really." Savannah said with a smile on her face as she turned around. "Angela really liked you. I really think that she would have liked you to stay here for your time on this team..."

LINE BREAK

The next morning, Savannah, wearing nothing more than her Bondi Blue-colored pajamas, found herself opening the door to Rose's new room. With the light in the room, she could see Rose lying on her bed on her dragon form and on her back; her entire body was tense.

Timidly, Savannah approached Rose's bed, but just as she reached the side of the bed, she jumped back in surprise with a shout of shock as Rose's body jerked upward. Putting her hand over her chest, Savannah panted for a few seconds before she managed to catch her breath. Swallowing, she lowered her hand from her chest and managed to make her way to Rose's bedside.

Looking down, Savannah could see that Rose's breathing was quick and panicked and tears of pain had formed in her eyes. "Oh, Rose..." Savannah moaned in sympathy. Getting down on her knees, Savannah reached out and put her hand on Rose's scaly chest, just as Rose's body jerked upward again.

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

The next thing Savannah knew, she found herself opening her eyes while lying on her side on the floor. Moaning, she rolled over onto her stomach and pushed herself up onto her knees, only to hear a moan coming from the bed. Turning her head to the side, she could see that Rose was now in her human form, no longer tense, but moaning in discomfort.

"Was I here all-?" Savannah started, but she stopped talking and turned her head in the direction of the door when she heard it creak as it opened and she could see Joel entering, in his Peridot-colored dragon form, carrying a tray of food in his claws. "Good morning." He declared a smile on his face. "I brought our newest team member some breakfast while she recuperates..."

Savannah grunted as she managed to get to her feet, just as Joel stepped up to the bed. Turning around to face her, Joel smiled as he looked over Savannah. "Wow, Savannah..." He said. "...You actually did it."

"What did I do?" Savannah asked.

"You stayed with her all day yesterday." Joel told her. "Look at you. You're filthy and you look exhausted." As Joel pointed this out, Savannah could not help but look down at her pajamas, finding them covered in dirt. "Tell you what..." Joel offered, shrugging. "...Why don't you go get cleaned up and then go take a nap. I'll look after her for a few hours..."

"You sure?" Savannah asked, giving him a quizzical look.

"Absolutely. " Joel said. "I can handle it."

"Okay, then..." Savannah replied slowly, seemingly unsure if she liked this idea. Regardless, she nodded in agreement. "...I won't be gone long. I'll just take a shower and get changed. Then I'll be back..." As she said this, she turned around and started to walk out of the room.

"You look really tired, though." Joel spoke up again, making Savannah stop in her tracks as he smiled. "I can't imagine that sleeping on the floor in here was a good night's sleep..."

As Joel said this, Savannah's lip quivered and in a few seconds, she opened her mouth and yawned loudly. "Well..." She said as she recovered from the yawn. "...Maybe you're right. Maybe I'll be back in a few hours..."

"That's more like it..." Joel smiled as Savannah continued walking toward the door. As Savannah exited the room, Joel set the tray down on Rose's stomach, making Rose moan as she slowly opened her eyes. "...I...brought you some breakfast..." Joel told her.

"Thanks..." Rose rasped. "...But I'm not very hungry right now..."

"Understood..." Joel told her, moving his head down so that he could look at her hand with the dragon birthmark on it.

As Rose took deep breaths, trying to get as relaxed as she could, she continued to stare up at Joel, and as Joel just stood in place, staring at her hand, Rose couldn't help but become a little unnerved. "What are you looking at?" She finally managed to rasp.

"Oh." Joel seemed a little shocked to see that Rose realized that he was staring at her, and he smiled sheepishly. "I was just...looking at your birthmark." He admitted, pointing at her hand. "Your Huntsclan mark..."

"Oh..." Rose rasped. "...You aren't going to call me an evil person, are you?"

"Of course not." Joel gave her another sheepish smile as he knelt down, sitting on his knees as he spoke to Rose, Rose slowly rolling her head to the side. "I was just...curious as to how a hunter could change." Joel said. "And then turn into a dragon herself."

"Well, I realized..." Rose rasped. "...That the Huntsclan was wrong about magical creatures when I found out the boy I loved was a dragon. So, to put it rather simply, I let him go and changed my outlook."

"I bet The Huntsman wasn't very happy about that..." Joel replied, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"No, he wasn't." Rose replied. "But he didn't know that I purposely let him go until a few months later. Granted, he was still furious that I messed up in the field. He punished me by sending me to the Huntsclan Academy, a school for new recruits..." Saying this put a smile on Rose's face as she slowly turned her head back to normal so she could stare up at the ceiling.

"What was that like?" Joel asked, trying to keep his voice calm and composed to hide his eagerness.

"I felt like a fish out of water..." Rose told him, her voice slowly returning to normal. "...It...was not the best three months of my life, to put it mildly..."

_FLASHBACK_

_Rose, aged thirteen, sighed sadly as she opened the door to the penthouse. She quickly turned around and closed the door before she turned back around and walked into the front room, where she could see The Huntsman, wearing the full Huntsclan uniform, plus cape and dragon skull mask, with his arms crossed._

_"Huntsgirl..." He said. "...Did you go to the school and sign out like I told you to?"_

_"Yes, Huntsmaster." Rose said respectfully. "I made it clear that I will no longer be enrolled."_

_"Good." The Huntsman told her as he lowered his arms. He then swiftly turned around and put his arms behind his back as he walked over to the window. Once he reached the window, he kept his arms behind his back as he looked out into the day. Then, he spoke: "Huntsgirl, go pack your belongings. The Huntschopper will be here any minute..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_In her room, Rose zipped up a duffel bag that contained six Huntsclan uniforms. Once the bag was zipped up, Rose then walked over to her nightstand and looked into the mirror on the top as she buttoned up the last button of the top to the uniform that she was now wearing. As soon as she finished buttoning her uniform, she lowered her hands and stared into the mirror as tears formed in her eyes._

_"No..." Rose whispered, bringing her hand up and slapping the side of her own face. "...No!" She told herself more fiercely this time, clenching her fists. "You can't be like this in front of The Huntsman! You can't show any sign of sadness or he'll get suspicious."_

_At that moment in time, Rose's eyes widened and she looked up at the ceiling as she heard the sound of the roaring propellers of the Huntsclan chopper. Sighing as the roaring sound got closer and much louder, to the point of the room starting to shake, Rose turned around and grabbed her mask. She quickly slipped it on before she reached over and grabbed her duffel bag. Sliding it over her shoulder, Rose turned around and made her way toward her door._

_LINE BREAK_

_As the propellers slowly started to die down, the side door to the chopper slid open and a woman wearing a Huntsclan uniform with no cape but with the dragon skull helmet jumped out onto the roof. As her feet touched the ground, she looked in front of her, her eyes widening as she saw Rose and The Huntsman walking up toward the chopper._

_Finally, the two reached the female Huntsclan soldier and she bowed in respect, speaking: "Huntsmaster..." With a very respectful tone. However, as she came back up, she turned her head to the side slightly and stared at Rose. "...Huntsgirl..." She said this with a tone that showed more dislike. It was then that Rose realized who this female soldier was; she had grown considerably, but there was no mistaking the voice. It was Huntsgal._

_"I hope you do not mind that I will be your pilot and escort to the Academy." Huntsgal said, addressing The Huntsman._

_"Of course not, Huntsgal." The Huntsman told her._

_Without saying another word, Huntsgal turned around and started to climb back into the chopper. With her back to Rose, Rose could see that Huntsgal still had her black hair in a pony tail, only now, it went down her back. Grunting, Huntsgal finally managed to climb in and then turned, climbing over to the cockpit as Rose slowly started to walk toward the open door, followed by The Huntsman._

_LINE BREAK_

_With the roaring propeller blades, the Huntsclan chopper flew through the air, Rose with her head to the side as she looked out the window. However, the Huntsclan chopper swiftly made a ninety degree turn around as it neared a building; her eyes widening as she saw it, Rose realized that they had arrived at the Huntsclan Academy._

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_Rose walked alongside Huntsgal through the halls of the Huntsclan Academy. The two started to come across two Huntsclan students wearing the trainee uniform and mini-mask. As the passed by, both trainees stared at Rose, making Rose feel uncomfortable, even after they had crossed paths._

_"So..." Huntsgal spoke up. "...It finally looks as though the mighty Huntsgirl has fallen from grace."_

_"What are you talking about?" Rose demanded, using her Huntsgirl voice, trying her best to hide her real feelings. "What grace would that be? I'm an apprentice. I haven't even slain my first dragon yet!"_

_"You keep screwing up whenever you get the chance to..." There was a sense of pleasure in Huntsgal's tone. "...And now it seems as though Huntsmaster wants nothing more to do with you."_

_"You're wrong about that!" Rose declared fiercely. "Once I slay my first dragon here and get out, I am certain that he will welcome me back."_

_"Well..." Huntsgal replied. "...We'll see about that. Ooh, here we are." She added as they reached a closed door to a room, Huntsgal gesturing to it with her arm. Both stopped in front of the door and Rose turned, walking up to the door. "Enjoy your stay at the Huntsclan Academy..." Huntsgal said as she leaned in toward Rose's ear, her voice filled with pleasure. She then stepped back and quickly turned away, walking back down the hall, leaving Rose alone._

_Growling with annoyance, Rose reached for the knob and turned it, stepping into a lit room where she could see a bunk-bed in the corner of the room, a girl wearing a trainee uniform and mini-mask lying on her stomach on the bottom bunk, her head in a book and her legs sticking up in the air toward the top bunk. This female trainee also had braided sky blue-colored hair that was so long that it went all the way down her legs and feet to the foot of the bunk._

_Seeing this girl, Rose shrugged off the duffel bag from around her shoulder, where it dropped to the floor with a thud. This got the attention of the young trainee who looked up from her book and turned her head to the side, her dark blue eyes widening as she saw Rose close the door to their room behind her. "Huntsgirl!" She exclaimed happily. Rose watched as the trainee climbed out of the bed and quickly started to walk over to Rose, the last few inches of her braid being dragged behind her on the floor. _

_"Hello..." Rose shifted rather nervously._

_"Huntsgirl, I cannot begin to tell you how honored I am to be your roommate!" The trainee said, her eyes still wide and a smile on her face. "I am #94!" She proudly pointed to the patch on the side of her arm. "Bu...But if you don't think I am worthy of my title, ma'am..." She lowered her hand away from her arm. "...Then you can just call me Amberly."_

_"Why would you not be worthy of your title?" Rose asked._

_"Oh, I certainly hope that I am..." Amberly clasped her hands together. "...But if you don't, then I must not be..."_

_"You hold me in that high regard?"_

_"You're The Huntsmaster's apprentice!" Amberly exclaimed. "Even though you have never slain a dragon, you're fighting skills are well known by many in the Academy."_

_"Really?" Rose asked, her eyes widening._

_"Yes."_

_Rose just stared at the young trainee in front of her. Finally, she reached up and pulled off her mask, revealing her face. "Well..." She said. "...I'm not one for being a snob. I think you've earned your title, but I'd prefer to call you by your real name. Just like...when we're alone together, I'd like you to call me by mine. I'm Rose." As she said this, she held out her hand for Amberly to shake. Amberly just looked down at it for a few seconds, making Rose feel uncomfortable in some way that not even she could explain. However, after a few moments, Amberly reached out and accepted it with her own hand and the two girls gave each other one firm shake._

_LINE BREAK_

_"Dragons have a putrid stench that comes from under their wing..." In the classroom for Dragon Slaying 101, A Huntsclan master with a metal, robotic arm had his back to the entire class as he drew a poor picture of a dragon with a cloud of smoke coming out from its wing. Rose and Amberly sat in the front at one of the two desks at the front of the room. The other desk in the front only sat one trainee, who was male and was taller than Rose and had brown eyes. _

_"...If you learn how to sense the stench..." The Huntsclan instructor turned around to face the class. "...It will be much easier for you to locate and track down a beast. So you will know what it smells like, I will now subject you to it as a class." The instructor then turned his head to the side. "Bring it in!"_

_At that moment, the classroom door slid up and Rose mentally groaned as she watched Huntsgal walk in carrying a steel container in both of her hands. "Set it down on one of the tables." The Huntsclan instructor ordered._

_Nodding, Huntsgal walked over to the table where Rose and Amberly were sitting at, and Rose could see the look of joy in Huntsgal's eyes as she down the container right in front of her. "Now class..." The Huntsclan instructor continued. "...When Huntsgal opens that container, I don't want to see any of you holding your breath, as sick as it may make you feel. I want to see you all taking long, deep breaths, or mark my words you will be severely punished..."_

_Not sating another word The Huntsclan instructor turned his head to the side and gave Huntsgal a nod. Huntsgal brought her hand up to the lid and took it off. Almost immediately, a green mist came out of the container and Huntsgal took a step back. The green mist quickly spread through the room, reaching all of the trainees._

_Huntsgal backed up so that she was beside the Huntsclan instructor, and together, they watched as all of the students did exactly what they were told to do; take deep breaths, inhaling the fumes. As she did so, Rose slowly closed her eyes._

_"Okay, that's enough." The Huntsclan instructor said, turning his head to the side. Huntsgal nodded as she started to walk back over to the table where the container was. Huntsgal quickly reached the lid and set it back in to place, closing the container. Within seconds, the fumes faded into thin air._

_"Thank you, Huntsgal." The Huntsclan instructor said to Huntsgal, who turned around and bowed in respect before she started to walk toward the exit. Rose opened her eyes just in time to see the door slide open, Huntsgal walking out._

_"Remember that stench well, students." The Huntsclan instructor told them. "If you do, you will be able to track a beastly dragon down. Now..." He quickly changed the subject. "...When you finally do track down a dragon, you must always remember to not attack it while unarmed. You must always be prepared and ready in case your dragon fights back. If you go after a dragon with an attitude that you will slay it with one blow, then you will pay a devastating price. A price...like this..." As he said this, he held up his robotic arm._

_While Rose, Amberly and the other trainee in the front of the front just stared, several of the other trainees gasped. Listening to the gasps, the Huntsclan instructor lowered his robotic arm. "...However..." He said. "...There is one way that you can get the jump on a dragon and slay him quickly. Can anyone tell me what the weak spot is for all dragons?" As he asked this, he glanced across the room, finally looking at Rose. "Huntsgirl?"_

_Only seconds after the instructor said this, Rose started to feel uneasy; turning her head to the side, she could see that all of the trainees in the classroom, other than Amberly, were glaring at her, their scornful looks making her want to shrink in size. "Huntsgirl?" The instructor's impatient voice made Rose quickly turn her head back to the front of the class to look at the teacher. "Do you mind answering my question?"_

_Taking a deep breath, Rose spoke in her Huntsgirl tone: "A dragon's weak spot is the area behind their left ear, sir. A direct hit will result in a clean slay."_

_"Very good..." The Huntsclan instructor's impatient tone slowly faded. "...In fact class, this is perhaps the best way to slay your captured dragon. A direct hit behind their left ear will make them drop to the floor like stone. There will be no blood to clean out of your pelt..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_After class, Rose and Amberly were walking down the halls of the Academy. The two turned and stepped into the cafeteria. "Why don't you go sit down?" Amberly said, turning her head to the side. "I'll go get both of us some lunch."_

_"Alright." Rose replied, turning her head to the side to look at Amberly._

_"Okay, you go get us a table..." Amberly said, turning her head back to normal as she walked off toward the lunch line. _

_Sighing, Rose turned her head back to normal as she watched Amberly walk to the line. Once Amberly reached the back of the line, Rose turned to the side and started to walk to an empty table. Reaching the table, Rose quickly put both her legs over the bench and sat down. Once she was sitting down, she sighed as she reached up and pulled her mask off, setting it down on the table. Groaning, she then lowered her head into her hands. "Why did he have to send me back here?"_

_"That's what we're all wondering, Huntsgirl..." Gasping, Rose looked up as she heard a male's voice. She could see the tall boy who was sitting in the desk to the side of her and Amberly, all alone during the Dragon Slaying class; his brown eyes were staring intently at her. "...Do you mind if I sit down?" He pointed at the bench on the other side of the table._

_"My...uh...friend is going to sit there..." Rose told him._

_"I just want to make this quick..." the trainee said as he quickly sat down on the opposite side as Rose. Golding his arms together, Rose could see a flash of the number on his shoulder: #56. "...Did you get the feeling that...a lot of people were staring at you in an unsavory way?" He asked._

_"They were." Rose told him, rolling her eyes._

_"Exactly." #56 told her. "And for good reason. You don't belong here. You are fully trained. But since you messed up, that just shows us what you really are."_

_"And what am I?" Rose asked, giving him her Huntsgirl tone, hoping that he didn't see right through her; realize that although she didn't like all the students' eyes on her, she didn't care what any of them thought of her._

_"A failure." #56 told her. "You failed to slay the American Dragon even when he was a helpless prisoner."_

_"I did fail!" Rose told him fiercely, pounding her fists against the table. "But it won't happen again. I will slay my first dragon and get out of here. I have a score to settle with that pesky American Dragon."_

_"You shouldn't even be getting this second chance..." _

_"Well I am." Rose told him fiercely. _

_#56 just stared back at Rose for a few seconds, his lips pursed. Then, he slowly got up from his seat and stepped over the bench, not saying a word as he quickly turned and walked away from the table. _

_"What was that about?" Rose quickly turned her head to the side when she heard the sound of Amberly's voice. Amberly was balancing two trays in the palms of her hands, so she was walking fairly slow. "Was that that guy who was sitting next to me?"_

_"Yeah." Rose answered as Amberly finally reached her, slowly extending her arm as she set one of the trays down on the table. "Thanks." Rose said, turning her attention to her food as Amberly took her tray in both hands as she turned and walked around the table. Rose looked up from her tray as Amberly set the tray down and then slowly sat down._

_"So, what did he want?" Amberly asked._

_"Nothing." Rose replied._

_"Oh." Amberly replied, smiling. "So, you were pretty awesome today in class." She grabbed her for as she said this and drove it into the glob of slop on the side of her tray. "I wouldn't be surprised if our teacher asks you to demonstrate some fighting skills to the entire class!" She then put the fork in her mouth._

_"That would only bring negative attention to me." Rose told her._

_"Are you kidding?" Amberly pulled the fork out of her mouth. "I don't know what you're talking about."_

_"The trainees are not happy that I'm here." Rose told Amberly. "Not that I can say that I care..."_

_"They don't know that they have a great warrior among them." Amberly replied. "Once they see you in action, I'm sure that they'll warm up to you." As she said this, she dug her fork back into the slop._

_Rose said nothing. She didn't even touch her own food. All she did was watch Amberly put the fork back in her mouth, sliding it out as she started to silently chew on the slop. Swallowing, Amberly smiled at Rose again._

_"What?" Rose asked._

_"If you don't feel comfortable demonstrating your skill to the class..." Amberly shrugged. "...Maybe you can demonstrate them in front of me..."_

_"Really?" Rose asked, a small smile on her face. "Just you?"_

_"I hope that wouldn't be too much to ask..." Amberly set down her fork. "...Rose, I told you this morning, you are a very talented fighter. You're The Huntsmaster's apprentice for a reason..."_

_"I'm not The Huntsmaster's apprentice anymore." Rose told her. "I've been demoted."_

_"But he'll take you back once you slay your first magical creature during the Graduation Rite..." Amberly told her, leaning closer to the table. "...And I hope to be there. I know it's what all trainees say, but I can't wait to slay my first dragon._

_"I know..." Rose replied, her smile slowly fading._

_"I mean, who do those beasts think they are?" Amberly continued, shaking her head. "It's not normal, Rose. To grow wings and breath fire..."_

_"No it's not..." Rose muttered sadly, slowly starting to lower her head down toward her tray. She then lifted up her arms from each end of her tray and brought them around her neck, intertwining them together._

_"...They're just so gro..." Amberly continued, but she stopped when she realized what Rose was doing. "...Hey, are you okay?"_

_"Yeah." Rose answered, not looking up. "I've just had a long day and lunch isn't even over yet..."_

_"I know the feeling..." Amberly nodded. "...It was like that on my first day here." After saying this, Amberly just stared at Rose as the older huntress stayed in the same position. "Do...Do you want to be left alone?" Amberly asked. "Do you want me to go?"_

_"That would be kind of nice..." Rose replied, still not moving._

_"Okay..." Amberly's eyes filled with sadness as she nodded in understanding. "...I understand. I'll..." She started to get up. "...I'll see you when you come back to our room later on..." Amberly then climbed back over the bench and quickly started to walk away from the table._

_Now alone, Rose lifted up her head, looking back down at the birthmark on her hand and palm. "This can't be my destiny..." Rose whispered to herself as she clenched that hand into a fist, squeezing her eyes shut as tears started to form and roll down her cheeks._

END FLASHBACK

Rose stopped suddenly as she set her head back down on the pillow. "What's the matter?" Joel asked, looking up from her hand and turning his head to the side to look at her.

"Do you mind getting the tray off of me?" Rose moaned as she closed her eyes. "It's starting to bug me..."

"Oh..." Joel's eyes widened in realization. "...O...Okay..." The Peridot dragon climbed to his feet and reached out, taking the tray off of Rose. "...I'll just...take this out. I'll be right back so you can continue your story."

Rose said nothing in response to this, so Joel turned around and started to walk toward the door. As he reached the door, he took one hand off of the tray as he quickly reached out and pulled the door open. Grabbing hold of the tray with his second hand, Joel quickly walked out of the room and made a swift turn as he took another step to the side of the door, where he found Coen in his Carmine-colored dragon form, waiting for him.

"No progress?" Coen asked slowly.

"She wouldn't eat it..." Joel said as he handed the tray to his friend. "...So she won't be spilling the beans with your little tell-all potion. Fortunately, I'm smart enough to come up with my own plan. I managed to get her to start telling me about her time at the Huntsclan Academy. I'm certain...that it will build up to me getting what I need..." As he said this, Joel smiled mischievously.

LINE BREAK

Moaning, Rose slowly rolled over onto her side, just in time for her to see the still dragon Joel walking back into the room. Using his tail to close the door, Joel started to walk back over to Rose's bed. "Man, out there, I was thinking..." He told her. "...About how bad that must of been..."

He then reached the bed side again and knelt back down onto his knees. "...How difficult it must have been for you." Folding his scaly arms on the side of the bed, he continued: "How did you manage to make it through your time there?"

"I thought it was going to be hard..." Rose told him. "...But just when I needed it most, I got the support I needed in a form that I never thought possible..."

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: Here's the season premiere! Hope you liked it! Please review! **


	2. Chapter 2

Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Two)

Chapter/Episode 2: Teresa

_Night had fallen and every room in the Huntsclan Academy was pitch black. All except for the Huntsclan library, which was lit with a candle at one table. Sitting at the table, writing something down on a piece of paper was a boy wearing a trainee's uniform. The boy's long curly black hair was too long for the mini-mask over the top half of his head, so the hair went passed the mask and went down to his shoulders. The trainee had some muscle in his arms and the fire coming from the candle illuminated the number on his shoulder: #666._

_"Hey..." #666 looked up from his paper and turned his head to the side, where he could see #56 entering. In his hand, he held a lit lighter. "...You're still here..."_

_"Of course I'm still here..." #666 said as he turned his head back to normal and looked back down at his paper and started to write it again. "...I need to get this paper on how I would slay a dragon done so it can be ready for the Graduation Rite..."_

_"That's not for another two months..." #56 told him._

_"I need it to be good enough to get a passing grade on it." #666 said, not looking up from the paper. "I have to pass all my classes for me to be eligible for the Graduation Rite. Have a seat..." He then added._

_#56 nodded as he started to walk closer to the table. He reached the opposite side of the table and sat down, clicking off his lighter. "The Huntsgirl is here..." He said bluntly._

_"I know." #666 said, still not looking up from his paper. "I saw her enter earlier today."_

_"You're not concerned that she'll steal all of my-I mean, your popularity here?" #56 asked, hoping that his "friend" had not caught his mistake by the time he finished speaking._

_#666 glanced up from the paper he was writing. "Are you kidding?" He asked. "Huntsgirl's welcome back reception has not been very warm thus far. Wouldn't you agree?" As he finished speaking, he looked back down at the paper he was writing._

_"But it could change..."_

_"Not likely..." #666 replied. "...Is this why you came here? Because I really don't think it's worth discussing. I have my future as a Huntsclan member to worry about..."_

_#56 said nothing as he just stared at his fellow trainee as he worked on the paper. Without saying anything, #56 slowly got up from his chair, turning and walking out of the library. After exiting the library and turning down, starting to walk into the wall, he held up his lighter and clicked it open, lighting up the area around him so he could see where he was going. "I can't have her impress the other trainees..." He whispered to himself. "...I can't let her become more popular than #666. I have to do something about her..."_

_#56 continued on walking until he reached the door to his room. He started to reach out for his doorknob, only to freeze. "...Maybe..." He said to himself. "...Hmm...Maybe I could..." A smile crossed his face. "...Chase her away from the Huntsclan..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_The next morning, Rose was walking down the halls of the Academy, trying to keep her gaze away from any students that she passed by, hoping to not catch their hostile gazes. Rose looked up from the floor as she passed by a trainee, only to verbally groan as she saw a line of five trainees headed toward her. Sliding to the middle of the hall, Rose braced herself for the impact._

_Rose grunted as she made contact with the two trainees closest to the middle, pushing through them. After she made it through them, she stopped and whirled around, glaring as she watched the trainees walking away._

_"Huntsgirl!" Hearing the familiar sound of The Huntsman's booming voice, Rose gasped as she quickly whirled around again, watching as The Huntsman walked up the hall, a young girl wearing a trainee uniform with a black backpack slung over her shoulder walking beside him. "Shouldn't you be heading for class?" The Huntsman asked as he and the girl stopped right in front of her._

_With the new trainee in front of her, Rose could see that she had gray eyes, was a few inches shorter than her, her hair was up in two black pigtails with a red line going down both of them; the pigtails dangling over her shoulders. Finally, on her shoulder was her number: #101._

_"I was just on my way, Huntsmaster..." Rose told him. "...Um, pardon me for asking, but who is this?"_

_"The newest trainee..." The Huntsman said, his tone sounding like he thought that Rose must be the stupidest person alive. "...That should be no concern of yours." He put his finger in Rose's face, making her step back. "You get to class while I take her to her quarters."_

_"Yes, Huntsmaster..." Rose replied, taking another step back, then, she shuffled to the side, turning her head to the side as she watched The Huntsman and #101 started walking down the hall again._

_Returning her attention to the hallway ahead of her, Rose sighed as she started to walk down it, completely unaware that from several feet away, #56 was following her._

_Rose continued walking down the halls on her way to her class, the hall starting to turn and wing into a C-shape. At the end of the short spiral, there was the start of another hall and a bump in the wall with a door that led to the inside of a closet._

_Still completely unaware of being followed, Rose continued on, as #56 stopped behind her very briefly, a small, mischievous smile crossing his face. "Exactly what I need..." He whispered to himself. _

_Then, with a grunt, #56 started to run toward Rose, his footsteps making loud noises against the floor. The footsteps were so loud that Rose heard them, stopping in her tracks as she was just a few inches away from the bump in the wall that was the utility closet. Turning around, Rose was able to see the trainee charging toward her, just in time to grunt as #56 slammed into her._

_#56 grabbed onto her arms and shuffled to the side, taking Rose with him before he started to run her right toward the closed door to the closet. Before Rose could do anything to defend herself, she grunted as #56 slammed her against the door, her back colliding against it. #56 quickly grabbed hold of her shoulders and pushed her to the side, where Rose stumbled back before accidentally tripping herself, falling to the floor on her back with a grunt, just as #56 grabbed the knob to the door of the closet, pulling it open._

_As Rose groaned, starting to slowly slit up, she heard footsteps approaching her. Turning her head to the side, her eyes widened as she saw two girls wearing trainee uniforms. One girl had brunette hair and the other one had dirty blonde-colored hair, almost to the point of being a light orange. The two girls quickly stopped their conversation and were now looking down on Rose, a look of contempt in their eyes._

_"Oh, look..." said the brunette. "...Huntsgirl just got whooped by a trainee..."_

_"What?" Rose's eyes widened even more. "No...No I didn't!"She tried to shake her head from side to side, but when she turned her head back to normal, she could see #56 walking up toward her, the door to the closet wide open. "Hey!" Rose told him angrily, her eyes narrowing. "Who do you think you are? I'm your superi-!"_

_However, before she could finish, #56 leaned down and grabbed her by the collar of her uniform, forcing her to her feet as he stepped back. "Hey, let go of me!" Rose ordered, but #56 refused, dragging her over to the open closet before he turned himself and Rose to the side so that her back was to the open closet._

_"You can't do this!" Rose told him, but #56 didn't listen. Instead, he shoved her into the closet. Rose stumbled into the closet before she collapsed in a sitting position, #56 walking up to the door. The last thing Rose heard before the trainee closed the door was the joyous laughter of the two girls. Then, she was in the dark._

_As #56 turned away from the door, he could see that the two trainee girls were still laughing. Smiling, #56 started to walk over to the girls, turning to them as they stopped laughing. "Very nice." The dark blonde told him. "I can't believe you were able to do that to her."_

_"This just shows how she's fallen..." the brunette replied, turning her head to the side to look at her friend. When her friend nodded in agreement, the brunette turned her attention back to #56. Seconds later, her face lit up. "...Hey, aren't you...#666's friend?"_

_"Yeah..." #56 replied, a small smile crossing his face._

_"Hmm..." the brunette said as she and her friend started to continue walking down the hall, #56 stepping to the side. "...Then maybe one of these days, you can be almost as cool as him..."_

_Hearing this, #56 turned to the side to watch the two female trainees walking down the hall. "Come on..." said the dark blonde eagerly. "...We have to go tell the rest of the school that the Huntsgirl got whooped by a trainee!"_

_As he watched them walk away, #56's small smile grew into a much larger one. "Maybe..." He whispered to himself. "...I can become even cooler..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_Rose was not in darkness for very long. Soon, a green light lit up the room, revealing Rose up near the ceiling, pulling her hand away from the button next to the light on the ceiling. Rose was in a splits position in the air, her feet making contact with the opposite walls._

_Grunting, Rose pulled both her feet away from each side of the wall and she dropped to the floor. There wasn't much in the closet Rose was trapped in. There was a trashcan in the back corner and a broom in the other, and surprisingly, a coil or rope near the door. Not caring about her surroundings, Rose reached out for the knob and took it, but when she turned it, the door would not open._

_Anger flashing through her eyes, Rose wrapped her other hand around the knob, grunting as she pushed against the door. Still, the door wouldn't budge._

_"Open this door right now, you little twerp!" Rose shouted as she pulled her arms back to her side, clenching her fists. "Let me out or I'll tell The Huntsman! I'm not lying!"_

_Still, the door remained closed, Rose locked in. Growling in annoyance, Rose shouted: "Fine! I'll kick the door down! HIYAHH!" Rose then jumped up and aimed a kick for the door, just as the lock to the door clicked and the door opened, revealing a trainee. However, Rose's kick made contact with the trainee's neck instead of the door._

_With a grunt, the trainee fell to the ground with a thud as Rose landed on her feet. Rose's eyes were filled with anger as she looked down at the trainee, expecting to see #56. However, it was not #56._

_This trainee had black hair that was in two ponytails, a red streak going down both of them. On her shoulder was the number 101. She was panting heavily as she stared up at Rose with her gray eyes. Shocked, Rose gasped in horror at what she had just done._

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_#101 groaned as she rolled over onto her stomach. She started to pick herself up onto her hands, but before she could sit up, violent coughs started to hit her. "I'm so sorry!" Rose apologized, walking over to her side and kneeling down, putting her hand on the girl's back as she coughed again._

_Finally, after about four more coughs, the girl groaned as she turned her head to the side, looking at Rose. Rose sensed this, so she turned her head to the side to look at her as well. "I'm really sorry." Rose told her. "I didn't know it was you. I thought you were #56."_

_"It's okay..." #101 told her, her voice raspy._

_"Wh...What were you doing, anyway?" Rose asked._

_"I saw what happened..." #101 explained in a raspy voice before she looked back down at the floor, hacking up a loud cough. "...I wanted to help you..." Her voice was even raspier as she turned her head back to the side after coughing again. _

_Rose just stared back at the girl on her knees, not knowing what to say. Finally, she decided on what to say. Pulling her hand away from the trainee's back, she asked: "Are you okay?"_

_"I'm fine." The trainee said, turning her head back to normal, reaching up with one hand to put around her neck. _

_"Are you sure?" Rose offered. "If you want, I can take you to the Hunts-nurse..."_

_"I'm fine." #101 told her as she started to get to her feet. Rose watched as the trainee finally managed to get to her feet. Then, she watched as the trainee started to slowly walk down the hall, wheezing every time she took a step._

_Quickly making up her mind, Rose got to her feet and quickly jogged up to the wheezing trainee. As soon as Rose reached #101's side, she reached out and put her arm around the girl's shoulder, making her stop. "Come on." Rose said. "You should see the nurse. Come on. I'll take you..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_#101 now sat in a padded table with the Hunts-nurse standing over her. Despite being a nurse, the Hunts-nurse wore the standard Huntsclan uniform with a cape and a dragon skull helmet. Rose sat in the corner with her arms crossed as the Hunts-nurse put her fingers to #101's throat._

_"She'll be fine..." The Hunts-nurse decided, pulling her hands away and turning around to face Rose. Unlike The Huntsman or any other Huntsclan master, the Hunts-nurse's voice was soft and even somewhat caring. "...She's already beginning to breathe normally again."_

_"That's a relief..." Rose said, using a softer version of her Huntsgirl tone as she lowered her arms._

_"Yes..." The Hunts-nurse agreed. "...But why did you kick her in the neck in the first place, Huntsgirl?" The tone of her voice darkened; she didn't sound angry, just disappointed._

_"Well, I-" Rose tried to explain, but before she could begin, she was cut off by #101._

_"I snuck up on her..." She said in a raspy voice, making the Hunts-nurse turn around. "...And I startled her. So...she accidentally kicked me..."_

_To Rose's surprise, this got a chuckle out of the Hunts-nurse. "Yes..." She said, putting a hand on #101's shoulder. "...That can happen when you sneak up upon a Huntsclan warrior, my dear. We are always prepared for the worst and we are always on guard."_

_"I know that now, Hunts-nurse..." #101 told her._

_The Hunts-nurse nodded before she turned back around, facing the door. "If you will excuse me..." The Hunts-nurse said kindly. "...I will go get you girls an escort to your class. She turned her head to the side. "Huntsgirl, you have Dragon Slaying 101. And you?" She turned back around to face #101._

_"Same..." She replied, her voice still raspy._

_"Then I will get you both an escort..." The Hunts-nurse said, turning around and starting to walk toward the door. Rose turned her head to the side and watched as the Hunts-nurse opened the door and stepped outside, closing the door behind her._

_As soon as the Hunts-nurse was gone, Rose quickly got up from her chair and walked over to #101, who smiled at her when she looked at Rose. "I'm sorry." Rose told her, wrapping her arms around her sides, almost hugging herself. "Thanks for making up a story for me..."_

_"No problem..." #101 smiled, her voice still a little raspy as she held out her hand. "...And it wasn't really a story that I made up. It's mostly true..."_

_"I guess..." Rose replied as she pulled her arms away from her side and reached out, taking #101's hand, both of them shaking. _

_"My name's Teresa." #101 told her._

_"Rose." Rose returned._

_"Nice to meet you..." Teresa smiled as their hands parted. "...And you have no reason to apologize to me for kicking me. It was a complete accident."_

_"Thanks for being so understanding..." Rose told her sincerely. "...So..." She changed the subject. "...You've got Dragon Slaying 101 first thing, too?"_

_"Yeah." Teresa's face lit up. "It's the class I'm looking forward to the most!"_

_"Oh..." There was no hiding the disappointed tone in Rose's voice and she took a step back._

_"Yeah!" Teresa continued. "All day, I've been hearing about this Graduation Right thing! You get to go out and slay magical creatures. If you slay one, you get to graduate! I'm excited!"_

_"Well, you have to get good grades in your classes to be considered eligible." Rose explained._

_"Well, that shouldn't be too hard..." Teresa was grinning from ear-to ear. "...How hard can these classes be?"_

_LINE BREAK_

_When Rose and Teresa entered the classroom for Dragon Slaying 101, they were surprised to see that it was relatively empty. The only other trainee who had arrived was #56, who was sitting at his regular seat. Rose glared at him as she walked over to her seat, sitting down, looking at Teresa, who was looking around the room, hoping to find a place to sit._

_Finally, Teresa looked over at Rose, a hopeful look in her gray eyes as she started to walk over to the table Rose was sitting at. "Ro-" She began, but she was cut off when Rose said in a hushed voice:_

_"You need to call me Huntsgirl in public around here." She whispered. " Just like I need to call you #101 in public. It would sound suspicious if we addressed each other by our real names."_

_"Okay." Teresa replied softly. "Then do you mind if I sit here, Huntsgirl?" She pointed at the spot at the table right next to Rose._

_"Well, my roommate sits here, but she isn't here yet." Rose shrugged. "So...I guess it's okay..."_

_Nodding with a smile on her face, Teresa turned to the side and walked around the side of the desk, sitting down right next to Rose. "Thanks..." She said. _

_"Don't mention it..." Rose replied, just as about five more trainees walked into the room. As they started to make their way to their desks, all five of them looked at Rose, snickering and whispering._

_Rose did her best to ignore the trainees as they walked passed her and instead kept her eyes on the door, just as Amberly stepped into the classroom. Amberly walked over to the table that Rose and Teresa were sitting at, her eyes slowly widening as she reached the table. "Who's this?" Amberly demanded, pointing at Teresa._

_"This is #101." Rose replied calmly, gesturing to Teresa with her hand. "It's her first day and since you weren't here yet, I said she could sit here."_

_"But where am I going to sit?" Amberly asked, looking over the room. "Someone already inhabits all of the other seats..." As she said this, she looked back at Rose._

_"Well, there is one seat that's never been taken..." Rose replied, indicating to the empty seat next to #56._

_"But..." Amberly started, but she quickly stopped. Instead, she just sighed as she turned to the side and slowly started to walk over to the table across from the one that Rose and Teresa were sitting at._

_LINE BREAK_

_"Now, class..." Several minutes later, the Huntsclan instructor stepped away from the board after drawing yet another somewhat poor picture of a dragon. "...I am about to show you the correct way to skin your dragon."_

_"Wait, skin?" Teresa asked, blurting out just as the Huntsclan instructor started to turn around. Teresa's outburst caused Rose to turn her head to the side and the Huntsclan instructor to turn around to look at her._

_"Yes, #101..." He repeated impatiently. "...Skin."_

_"But..." Teresa asked. "...Doesn't that sound...cruel?"_

_"The dragon will already be DEAD, #101..." The Huntsclan instructor said impatiently, rolling his eyes._

_"Dead?!" Teresa's eyes widened. _

_"Yes, #101..." The Huntsclan instructor turned his attention back to the chalkboard. "...The dragon will be dead. They will not be able to feel their scales being skinned off. Although honestly, I think they should feel it...Now pay attention, class..." He put the chalk up to the board again._

_Her eyes wide, Teresa turned her head to the side to look at Rose. "No one ever told me that we were going to be killing dragons..."_

_"Be silent, #101!" The Huntsclan instructor shouted, turning around to look at her. "I will have no interruptions in my class..."_

_Quickly, the Huntsclan instructor stepped back, pointing his piece of chalk at the back of the dragon, while still being able to look at his class. "Class, the best place to start skinning your dragon would be at the top of the chest and then you go down their belly. You want to avoid the neck, because if you slice the artery, it can get a bit...messy..."_

_Rose was looking at the Huntsclan instructor as he spoke, but when she heard moaning coming from Teresa, she turned her head to the side, her eyes widening as she saw that Teresa was hunched over her desk, her head in arms wrapped around her head. However, her moaning soon ended and instead, Teresa's body tensed and jerked as a muffled heaving sound._

_"Teresa?" Rose asked in a worried tone, forgetting her own advice, just as Teresa heaved again._

_Teresa, as she heaved for a third time, sat up in her chair, turning her head to the side, just as she heaved for the fourth time. "Hunts-" She started, but was stopped by a fifth heave. "I think I'm gonna-" Once again, she was forced to stop because of heave number six._

_"And that class, is how you skin a dragon..." The Huntsclan instructor had turned to face the board, but now he turned around to face the class, only to see that Rose had gotten up along with the still heaving Teresa._

_"Huntsgirl, what are you doing?" The Huntsclan instructor demanded as he turned his head to the side, following Rose and Teresa as they made their way to the door._

_Rose quickly opened the door and started to help Teresa out before she turned around to face the instructor. "I'm sorry, sir." She apologized politely and sincerely, just as Teresa heaved again; Teresa then ran out the door, turned and ran down the hall as quickly as she could. Rose turned her head to the side just in time to see Teresa running away Quickly, she returned her attention back to the instructor. "But I think #101 needs to go pray to the porcelain god!" Rose then quickly turned and ran out of the room, following Teresa._

_LINE BREAK_

_In the girl's bathroom, Rose was leaning against the door, blocking anyone else from coming in as she looked to the side, looking into the open stall as Teresa sat on her knees, her mini-mask on the floor as her side, hunched over the toilet, releasing the contents in her stomach, making a sickening splash._

_Almost immediately after throwing up once, Teresa heaved and lost the contents of her stomach for a second time. After she finished throwing up, she just sat in place, moaning in discomfort. However, about fifteen seconds later, the poor girl heaved again; seconds later, she emptied her stomach for the third time. _

_After she finished, Teresa started to lift her head up and she reached over, grabbing her mini-mask. "Feeling better?" Rose asked as she watched Teresa slip the mini-mask on before she slowly started to get to her feet. Then, she reached over and flushed the toilet._

_Rose watched with sympathy in her eyes as Teresa turned around and slowly walked out of the stall. She then turned and walked over to the sink and turned it on, rinsing her hands. "Feeling better?" Rose repeated._

_"No." Teresa answered, turning off the water and turning to the side so she could look at Rose, allowing the water to drip from her hands onto the floor. "I still don't feel good."_

_"Is there anything I can do to help?"_

_To Rose's surprise, Teresa just shook her head. "I didn't think that we killed magical creatures, Rose. I never heard that. Everyone has been saying 'slay'."_

_Rose just looked at Teresa with confusion in her eyes, but before she could say anything, Teresa spoke again: "That was so wrong, Rose." She said. "I thought we just slayed magical creatures..."_

_Finally, Rose found her voice. Stepping away from the door, she turned to the side and held out her hand. "Come with me, Teresa..." She said._

_LINE BREAK_

_Teresa stayed close to Rose as they entered the Huntsclan library. The two girls walked passed all of the tables before they reached the rows that contained the books. "Come on." Rose said as they walked down one of the rows. _

_Once they walked down the row, Teresa stopped in her tracks, instead opting to just watch Rose as she walked down the aisle. Finally, Rose stopped in the middle of the aisle and turned to the side, putting her finger on the shelf as she went down the row. "Here we go..." Rose whispered as she came to the book she needed. She quickly pulled the book out, which was a thick hardcover book that was covered with dust._

_Taking the book in both hands, Rose turned to the side to face Teresa as she started to walk back down the aisle. "Come on." Rose said softly as she walked passed Teresa, making the girl turn around as Rose exited the aisle and walked over to the nearest table._

_Rose set the book down before she pulled up a chair, sitting down in it as Teresa slowly walked up beside her. As she reached the table, Teresa looked down at the dusty cover of the book and read the title: __Webster Dictionary__._

_"Sit down." Rose said softly, turning her head to the side as Teresa pulled up the chair next to the one Rose was sitting in, sitting down._

_"What are you going to show me?" Teresa asked._

_"You'll see..." Rose said as she turned her head to the book. Opening it, Rose skimmed through the hundreds of pages before she finally found the page she was looking for. "Here." She said, looking down at the page. Rose then put her finger down on the page and went down it, before she finally found the word. "Here it is." She said, scooting the book to the side so that it was right under Teresa's nose._

_"Read this." Rose said, taking her finger off of the word._

_"Slay." Teresa read. "Verb. To kill or murder." As she read this, her eyes widened with horror. Quickly looking up from the book, she turned her head to the side to look at Rose. "Rose..." She began. "...H...How cou...could anyone do that? What gives us the right to take another life?"_

_"Many Huntsclan masters..." Rose said as she turned her head to the side to look at the trainee. "...Think they have the right because they are normal and magical creatures are gross and unnatural."_

_"But..." Teresa's eyes widened some more. "...How can they be? They're living creatures, just like us..."_

_"Exactly..." Rose told her sadly. "...The truth is that we don't have the right to take away their lives. But at the same time..." Rose turned her head back to normal and lowered her head. "...We don't have a choice..."_

_"What can we do, Rose?" Teresa asked. "I don't want to kill any magical creature..."_

_"We don't have a choice, Teresa." Rose said, looking up and turning her head to the side again. "If we don't kill magical creatures, then we risk endangering ourselves. That's why I got sent back here..."_

_"What?" Teresa asked._

_"You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone this..." Rose's eyes darkened._

_"I promise, Rose..."_

_"I refused to slay a dragon..." Rose said in a hushed tone. "...The Huntsman just doesn't know that. He simply thinks I accidentally cut him loose." As she said this, she turned her head back and lowered it again. "But I meant to do it. And I don't regret it."_

_LINE BREAK_

_Sitting at a table in the cafeteria, Rose stared at Teresa as she sat right across from her. She seemed to be feeling a little bit better; while she didn't touch the food, she was at least sipping from her carton of milk._

_Rose was just about to say something, but before she could, she jumped in surprise as a tray slammed against the table right next to Rose. Turning her head to the side, she could see Amberly sitting down in front of the tray, an angry look on her face._

_"What's wrong?" Rose asked._

_"You know." Amberly said. "This idiot takes my seat." She pointed at Teresa, who lowered her milk carton as her eyes widened. "If I were you, I'd be embarrassed." Amberly said, leaning into the table. "Who doesn't know what 'slay' means? Jeez..."_

_"Hey." Rose's tone changed; now it was much more stern and her eyes narrowed. "Don't talk to her like that..."_

_"I'm just saying it like it is..." Amberly defended herself, using her fork to dig into her slop. "...You both know that when you go back into that class, you're both going to be in trouble."_

_"I was just trying to help #101." Rose said as she turned her head back to normal to look at Teresa. "The teacher will understand. If he doesn't, I'm sure Huntsmaster will."_

_"Yeah, well I hope that you understand that I want my seat back..." Amberly said as she lifted up her fork. "...I don't want to sit next to that loser again." She added, using her fork to point across the room to where #56 was walking with a tray in his hands._

_"Hmm..." Rose said, staring at him, a devious look in her eyes. "...Well, maybe I can make it so he isn't such a loser anymore." She started to get up from her seat. "Excuse me..."_

_Teresa lowered her carton of milk from her lips as she watched Rose walk around the table and walk away, heading for #56. "Where is she going?" Teresa asked Amberly._

_"Hopefully telling that loser that you'll be sitting next to him from now on..."Amberly answered as she put her fork in her mouth. Not satisfied by this answer, Teresa turned around on the bench, watching as Rose finally reached #56._

_#56 was about to near the exit when he felt someone trapping his shoulder. "Hey..." He heard the sound of Rose's voice from behind. #56 quickly turned around, just in time to see Rose throw a punch at him, which made contact with #56's face, throwing him off of his feet and onto the ground._

_#56 landed on the floor with his tray landing on his stomach and some of his sloppy food flying up and landing on his mini-mask. Clutching his face with one hand, #56 looked up at Rose as she looked down on his, her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed._

_"That's what you get for locking me in the utility closet." She told him._

_Rose then turned around to face the table that she had been sitting at and as she started to walk toward it, she could see that Amberly was laughing hysterically and Teresa was staring at her with wide eyes._

_As Rose reached the table again and sat down, Amberly returned to her lunch, while Teresa turned back around on the bench to look at Rose. "Why did you do that, Rose/" She asked._

_"Revenge..." Rose replied. "...That was just the Huntsgirl talking..." As she said this, she lifted up the hand that she used to punch #56 and started to shake it out._

END FLASHBACK

Rose finished speaking briefly and looked up at the dragon Joel as he chuckled. "That trainee deserved what you gave him..." He said.

"Yeah, he did..." Rose replied. "...But Teresa told me that I probably shouldn't have done that. As I would soon find out, she was probably right. From that day on, I had an enemy at the Academy..."

"Well, everything turned out alright..." Joel told her. "...So things couldn't have been that bad, right?"

"Teresa was only one good thing about me being in the Academy at that time..." Rose told him. "...But when it was bad, it was really bad. And little did I know that some really bad events were about to transpire..."

BLACKOUT; END

**A/N: Please review.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Two)

Chapter/Episode 3: Know Thy Enemy

_#666 sat in the Huntsclan library at one of the tables, a pen to his paper that he was writing. However, #666 could not bring himself to write anything. Lifting up his hand that held the pen, #666 groaned as he looked down at the paper. "No..." He muttered to himself. "...That's not it..." He lowered his hand to the paper again and began to write again. However, after only finishing one more sentence, he growled as he started to cross out what he had written. "...Not good enough..."_

_#666 was so busy with his paper that he didn't notice that #56 had entered the library, an icepack covering his eye. Even as #56 walked up to the opposite end of the table and sat down, #666 still didn't realize that #56 was near him. He was too busy stressing out as he scribbled out more of his writing._

_"It's not good enough!" #666 finally exploded, dropping his pen and grabbing his paper, crumpling it into a ball and throwing it across the table as hard as he could not realizing until after he threw it that he was throwing it at #56, who still had the icepack against his face._

_The crumpled piece of paper hit #56 and the trainee grunted, but did not move. "What are you doing here?" #666 asked, taking deep breaths to calm himself. "And why do you have the over your face?"_

_"The Huntsgirl punched me." #56 replied, his voice somewhat of a growl. "I went and saw the Hunts-nurse..."_

_"Why did she punch you?" #666 asked, bringing up his hands so that his elbows were touching the table, allowing the trainee to moan as he lowered his head into his hands._

_"She punched me because I put her in the closet." #56 explained._

_"You did what?" #666 asked, lifting his head to look at his "friend". "You put her in the closet? Why would you do something stupid like that?"_

_"She's a powerful fighter..." #56 told him. "...And once she shows it off, everyone won't think she's a failure anymore. I won't be-I mean...you won't be the most popular student here anymore."_

_"Does it really look like I care about popularity?!" #666 nearly burst, pointing down at the table and his pen. "I have a paper to write! And it isn't working out! At this rate, I won't be able to participate in the Graduation Rite. Which means that I won't be able to get out of here for another year."_

_#56 just stared back at #666 for a few seconds before his eyes widened and a smile crossed his face. "I have an idea!" He told him, leaning up against the table. "What if you helped me get rid of Huntsgirl? Helped me run her from the Huntsclan?"_

_"First of all..." #666 crossed his arms. "...That isn't possible. She would come back, on her own accord or not. You don't leave the Huntsclan. Second of all, I have a paper to write!"_

_"That's not working out for you, though, is it?" _

_"I'll get it down!" #666 insisted. "I just need to get my thoughts in order." As he said this, he put his hands back on the table._

_"I have a better idea..." #56 persisted. "...What if you just forget the paper? Come on, we both know that you'll never get it done. You'll never think it's good enough. This will be so much easier..."_

_"It doesn't help me in any way at all..." #666 crossed his arms._

_"But it does!" #56 continued. "Just listen to me. What if I said that you could go to the Graduation Rite and graduate from the Academy without writing that stupid paper?"_

_"I'm listening..." #666 slowly lowered his arms, dropping them to his sides._

_"What if..." #56 changed his tone to a hushed whisper. "...I could alter the computer statistics? You would be the top of your class without doing anything except helping me get rid of Huntsgirl?"_

_LINE BREAK_

_A few moments later, #56 was seated at one of the Hunts-computers in the library, on the page with the class ranks. #666 was standing behind him, tapping his foot with impatience. "Okay..." #56 said as he opened up a page that asked for a password. "...Here we go..."_

_"You're not hacking..." #666 told him impatiently as #56 turned his head to the side. "...You're just logging in. You don't know how to hack into the computer. This is pointless. Thanks for wasting some of my time..."_

_#666 then started to turn around and walk away, but #56 jumped out of his chair and turned around to reach out for his "friend". "Wait!" He called out. "Okay, maybe I don't..." As he said this, #666 stopped and turned around, putting his hands on his hips as he stared at his fellow trainee, sighing with annoyance. "...But I know someone who does..." #56 said, lowering his arm._

_LINE BREAK_

_#56 knocked against a closed door twice before he pulled his hand away. Seconds later, the door opened to reveal a girl wearing a trainee uniform. She had Nut-Brown-colored eyes and Ash Gray hair that was in a ponytail that was slung over her right shoulder. On her shoulder was the number 53. As she saw #56, her eyes lit up._

_#56!" She cooed. "What are you doing here?" #666 even thought he could see the girl blush._

_"I need your help with something..." He told the trainee._

_LINE BREAK_

_Back at the library, #53 was now sitting at the Hunts-computer at the library, typing furiously at the keyboard while #666 and #56 stood behind her on opposite ends of the chair. Smiling, #56 turned his head to the side to look at #666. "See?" He pointed out. "She's getting it done."_

_"And...you're in..." #53 quickly spoke before #666 could open his mouth, the young female trainee hitting the enter button. Within a second, the name of trainee #22 was bumped down on the scale as #666's moniker appeared at the top. "...You are officially qualified to attend to the Graduation Rite..." #53 said as she turned around in her chair._

_"So..." #56 turned to the side to face his friend, holding out his hand. "...I just held up my part of the bargain. Are you ready to hold up your part of the bargain?"_

_"I still don't think that you can just get rid of the Huntsgirl..." #666 turned to the side to face him. "...Like I said, she will just come back if you manage to actually get rid of her. But...I suppose now that I don't have a paper to work on..." He gave his "friend" a small smile as he took his hand, shaking it. "...I'll need something that will keep me busy..."_

_"I want to be the one that takes her down, though." #56 said as their hands parted._

_"I have no problem with that..." #666 told him, putting his hands on his hips. "...But she was trained by the Huntsmaster. She will be difficult to take down without...knowing more about her..."_

_"I already know enough about her..."_

_"I mean her possible weaknesses." #666 replied coolly. "Things that if you know, it will be easier to take her down..."_

_"How do you propose we find out her weaknesses?" #56 asked, crossing his arms. "Won't that look a little suspicious if I follow her around all the time?"_

_"Exactly." #666 replied, putting his hand to his chin. "We would need some way to make it look not so suspicious. Or, although this would much more difficult, we would need to find someone who could spy on her for us..."_

_As #666 said this, #53's eyes widened as she got up from her chair, starting to walk over to the two other trainees. "I...I...I can do it." She volunteered as she reached them, making both #666 and #56 turn around to look at her. "Sh...She doesn't even know who I am. I don't think she'd be suspicious."_

_"You'd do that for us?" #56 asked._

_"I'd do it for you..." #53 replied, looking at #56 with wide eyes._

_"Glad to hear it..." #56 smiled, completely missing the point, putting a small frown on #53's face._

_LINE BREAK_

_Rose slipped on her mask after she closed the door to her room that she shared. Sighing, the Huntsgirl then turned to the side and started to walk down the hall. Rose continued to walk until she another closed door. Stopping in front of it, Rose knocked three time and then put her face closer to the door._

_"#101, it's me." She called. "Are you ready?"_

_Within seconds, Rose stepped back as the door opened and Teresa stepped out, wearing her trainee uniform and mini-mask. As she saw Rose, Teresa smiled._

_"How was your first night here?" Rose asked her._

_"Well, considering..." Teresa replied, her smile fading. "...That I'm sleeping in the same room with another girl who wishes solely to slay as many magical creatures as she can in her life...it was okay."_

_"Good." Rose told her, her voice picking up with some relief. So, are you ready?"_

_"For class?"_

_"No, for the grand tour!" Rose answered, extending her arms out and raising them into the air. "I asked The Huntsman if I could..." She continued as she quickly lowered her arms. "...And he said that it was okay, just as long as we both run the obstacle course to make up for whatever classes we missed."_

_"There aren't any chained up magical creatures on the obstacle course, are there?" Teresa asked with a hint of worry in her tone._

_"Not that I know of..." Rose answered, taking a step closer to Teresa, reaching out and touching her shoulder. The two girls then turned to the side together. "...But then again, it's been years since I've been here. I suppose things could have changed. But we'll worry about that when we get there..." Rose added as the two of them started to walk down the hall, completely unaware that from behind them, #53 was slowly and cautiously following them._

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_"Before I show you any place inside..." Rose told her friend as both girls walked through the exit doors, taking them outside, where there was a pathway, green grass, and a tree. On the pathway, there were even two trainees who were sparring with each other, delivering an array of punches and kicks._

_"...This is a place that I feel is kind of nice to go when I don't have any classes or if The Huntsman isn't breathing down my back..." Rose explained. "...Quite a few of the trainees enjoy coming here as well."_

_Unbeknownst to the two girls, #53 poked her head out of the door, spying on them. Groaning, #53 pulled her head back and she turned around, reaching into her uniform and pulling out a walkie-talkie. She then pressed the button on the side and held it up to her mouth._

_"Can you hear me?" She asked. "Come in!"_

_"We can hear you..." came the voice of #666. "...Have you found any dirt on her?"_

_"No." #53 answered, with a sound of despair in her tone. "Huntsgirl's just talking with that new trainee. She's not letting anyth-"_

_However, before she could finish speaking, the sound of #666's angry voice shouted from the other end: "You idiot! She could be telling that girl all of her secrets! I don't care what you have to do to get close to her! Just don't just stand here talking to us!"_

_"Okay..." #53 said softly as she lowered the walkie-talkie. "...I'll try my best..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_"This is the ballroom..." Rose said as she and Teresa stepped into a large room where there was a disco ball hanging from the ceiling and a few tables. "...For when we have dances. Which..." Rose turned her head to the side to look at Teresa's shocked face. "...Isn't very often, but still..." As she finished speaking, she turned her head back to normal. The only difference is that this is a school with one objective..."_

_"To massacre innocent creatures..." Teresa finished for her._

_Rose said nothing. Instead, she turned around and started to walk toward the exit, leaving Teresa where she was standing. However, once Rose reached the exit, she turned her head to the side and finally spoke up. "Come on." She said. "There's one more place that I feel you need to know about." _

_Rose then turned her head back to normal. "Then we'll go to the obstacle course." She said as she walked out of the room, turning into the hall._

_Rose, however, only made it a couple steps before she felt her body colliding with another. The person who she bumped into grunted as she stumbled back and fell to the ground, a walkie-talkie hitting the ground, the battery popping out._

_"Hey, careful!" The trainee, #53, shouted up at Rose, who was just staring down at the trainee she bumped into in shock, while Teresa came running out of the ballroom, arriving at Rose's side as #53 managed to get to her feet._

_"I'm sorry..." Rose apologized, taking a step back and putting her hands up to her chest. "...I didn't mean to-uh, I mean...Watch where you're going, trainee!" She raised her voice, clenching her fists._

_#53 just stared back at Rose and Teresa for a few seconds before she sighed and knelt down, lowering her head as she reached to the side and grabbed her walkie-talkie. "Come on..." Rose said softly to Teresa, taking her by the arm; together, they shuffled to the side and continued on down the hall as #53 switched the walkie-talkie to her other hand and then reached out to the side and grabbed the battery._

_"Why did you yell at her like that?" Teresa asked in a hushed whisper, turning her head to the side to look at Rose, who had guilt in her eyes, as they walked._

_"I don't know..." Rose admitted. "...I guess it's because the trainees already think I'm a failure. It's not that I care, it's just that-well, let's just say that in here, if the trainees see me acting like I'm not a cold fighter anymore, they might-"_

_"Think you've gone soft?" Teresa asked._

_"Well, I have." Rose told her, shrugging. "But I just think that it would be best if they didn't know that. They should think that I'm the same old Huntsgirl..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_Teresa followed Rose into a large, dark room and when her eyes adjusted to the light, Teresa could see that they were standing at the top of a declining rooms, rows of benches making up a stadium. At the bottom was a chained gate that let Teresa look into an arena._

_"Rose, what is this place?" Teresa asked, turning her head to the side._

_"Follow me..." Rose told her as she started to walk down the steps that led down the rows of benches. Not saying anything, Teresa quickly followed, reaching Rose's side as Rose spoke again: "...This is the auditorium at this school. The students come here to watch whenever something major happens..."_

_"Major?" Teresa asked in a confused tone as they both reached the bottom of the steps, stepping up to the chain fence._

_As they both looked into the arena, Rose spoke again: "Teresa, this is a place that I would say that you would never want to find yourself in." As she said this, she turned her head to the side to look at her, Teresa turning her head to the side as well._

_"Wh...Why not?" The trainee asked._

_"Because..." Rose answered, turning her head back to normal so she could look back into the arena again. As she continued, Teresa did the same. "...You go in there if you do something that makes one of the Masters unhappy. You're being punished."_

_"What's the punishment?" Teresa asked, her voice getting smaller. "Is it...like...jail?"_

_"No, Teresa." Rose answered. "It's not like jail. Here, you fight. And every student at this school watches you..."_

_"What do you fight?"_

_"A kraken..."_

_"A kraken?" Teresa asked, turning her head to the side. "I've heard of them, but I've never seen one. What do they look like?"_

_"Hopefully..." Rose replied as she turned her head to the side to look at the young trainee. "...You'll never find out. And if you do, you won't be the one facing it..."_

_Unbeknownst to the two girls, #53 was standing at the top of the stairs. "Still nothing..." She growled to herself. However, as she saw both girls turn around and start to walk back up the stairs, #53 gasped with shock and jumped to the side, crawling under the bench, just as Rose and Teresa reached the top step._

_Neither of them noticed the hiding trainee, Rose and Teresa continued on and walked out the door. As soon as she was certain that they were gone, #53 crawled out from under the bench. Getting to her feet, #53 quickly stretched out her body before she quickly started to walk out of the door after Rose and Teresa._

_LINE BREAK_

_"Here we are." Rose said as she and Teresa entered the Obstacle Course room. Quickly, Rose reached over and flipped on the light-switch. With the lights on, Teresa could see the room that they were in. It was a fairly large room with several plastic stands shaped like magical creatures and there were also several dartboards, all lined up in two rows, each row facing the other._

_"The Obstacle Course." Rose said._

_"Are...?" Teresa asked as she looked at all of the cardboard stands. "...Are we supposed to...?"_

_"Of course we are." Rose said as she started to walk over to the wall, where there was a small blue screen with a hand print on it. "I'll tell you what..." Rose said as she turned her head to the side to look at Teresa as she started to walk toward it. "...You sit this one out..."_

_Rose turned her head back to normal as she reached up and put her hand to the screen, which lit up as her marked hand made contact with the hand outline. "Mark of the Huntsclan confirmed..." A female, robotic voice said. "...Huntsgirl."_

_Rose then took a step back as a drawer like door popped out of the wall, sliding up to where Rose was standing. Rose looked down to see that there was a Huntsclan staff in the "drawer". Without saying anything, Rose reached in and took the staff out, turning back around to face Teresa as the "drawer" slid shut._

_"You know that they're fake, right?" Rose asked._

_"Of course I do..." Teresa answered._

_"Okay then..." Rose nodded. "...Then just know that I'm not really hurting any magical creatures..."_

_Teresa nodded in understanding and Rose turned around, starting to run into the line of cardboard stands and dartboards. As Rose jumped into the air with a battle cry, the door to the room creaked as it opened, Teresa not noticing as #53 poked her head inside._

_"HIYAHH!" Turning to the side in the air, Rose slashed at the air with her staff, a glowing green beam of plasma coming out of the staff and going down to two of the cardboard cutouts, making them fall to the ground as Rose landed on the ground, twirling her staff until it turned into a bow and arrow. Rose then fired the glowing green arrow, where it planted itself right in the middle of the board. With a grunt, Rose swung her arm back, her bow and arrow morphing back into a staff as she fired a glowing green blast of energy, which flew over toward the next cardboard figure of a magical creature, blasting it to pieces._

_From behind Rose, Teresa stood still with an uneasy look on her face, wincing at all of the sounds of plasma firing._

_Grunting, Rose ran down the line, all of the dartboards with arrows in them and all of the cutouts either obliterated or on the ground. Rose held her staff tightly as she ran toward the wall, only to shout out in surprise, stumbling back as a flash of red dropped down from the ceiling._

_"Rose!" Teresa called out in panic, but when she saw that Rose was standing in front of a red Chinese dragon panting heavily, she decided to stay where she was._

_Rose panted as she looked at the cardboard dragon that was in front of her. It was a Chinese dragon; snake-like and colored red. Its mouth was opened with a mighty roar and its eyes were narrowed. In its claws was a fake severed head._

_As she managed to calm down from the shock, Rose's eyes widened as she stared at the dragon. Her staff quickly slipped from her grasp, dropping to the floor. With a whimper, Rose squeezed her eyes shut and dropped to her knees._

_"Rose!" Teresa shouted, starting to run over to Rose, leaving #53 looking at the two. A smile quickly appeared on #53's face, who had previously looked bored and disappointed._

_"Hmm..." She mused as she slowly started to pull her head away from the door and out of the room._

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_"Rose!" Teresa said again as she reached her friend's side; Rose now had her face in her hands. Putting her hand on Rose's back, Teresa turned to the side and knelt down next to her. "Rose, talk to me! Are you alright!"_

_"I'm fine..." came Rose's muffled reply and she lifted up her head, slowly turning it to the side._

_"Talk to me, Rose..." Teresa repeated, only in a much gentler tone._

_"Remember how I told you that I got sent back here because I refused to kill a dragon?"_

_"Yeah..."_

_"Well, it was the American Dragon." Rose continued. "The reason why I refused to slay him was because I found out that he was a kid that went to my school back in New York. We...went on a date and he asked me to dance with him at the fall dance."_

_"You two were close?"_

_Rose nodded, returning her head back to normal. "I let him go..."_

_"You did the right thing, Rose..." Teresa said, smiling as she patted her friend on the back. "...And I promise that your secret is safe with me..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_#666 and #56 were sitting at a table at the library, both of their heads turned to look at the entrance door. "Why haven't we heard back from her yet?" asked #56._

_"Does it look like I know everything?" #666 retorted just as the door entered and #53 entered, a smile on her face as she walked up to their table. "It's about time..." #666 told her as she reached the table. "...What did you find out?" He added as he noticed her smile._

_"She freaked out on the Obstacle Course." #53 told them. "All because of a red dragon..."_

_"How is that supposed to help us?" #56 demanded, pounding his fist against the table._

_"Because..." #53 explained. "...If you know anything about the Magical World and their disgusting 'heroes', you would know that the American Dragon is red."_

_"So?" #56 asked._

_"It's common Huntsclan knowledge that the American Dragon was an intended prize for the last Grand Equinox Hunt..." #666 told his "friend". "...And he was in fact captured."_

_"It's all over the school..." #53 continued. "...That's why the Huntsgirl is back here. She released the American Dragon during the hunt."_

_"Wait, so are you trying to say that maybe it wasn't an accident?" #56 asked, his eyes wide. "That maybe...she meant to do it on purpose?"_

_"Don't be an idiot..." #666 narrowed his eyes. "...It was an accident, without a doubt..." He continued as he began to get up from his chair. "...No one ever betrays the Huntsclan..." As soon as he was up, #666 turned around and put his arms around his back. "...I think that this is a matter of shame for her. And rightfully so..."_

_"Besides..." #53 looked down at #56 with a look of confusion in her eyes. "...There was no evidence of treachery. She just broke down. I don't see how you could come up with that..."_

_"I think we can use this to our advantage..." #666 said as he turned back around to face his fellow trainees. "...All we need to do is get her in here so we can talk to her." He then turned his head to the side to look at #53. "Do you mind doing the honors?"_

_LINE BREAK_

_Rose was walking alongside Teresa down the halls of the Academy, amongst many other trainees who were either walking with them, going the same way, or against them, going the opposite way._

_"Are you feeling any better?" Teresa asked, turning her head to the side as she put her hand on Rose's shoulder._

_"Yeah..." Rose answered. "...Thanks for listening to me. You really made me feel bet-"_

_However, before she could finish, she stopped abruptly when both girls stopped just in time to see #53 standing in the middle of the hallway, her hands on her hips and a smile on her face. "Is something the matter?" Rose asked, and then, after Teresa nudged her shoulder, she sighed and spoke again: "Look, I'm sorry for-"_

_"You're needed in the library right now, Huntsgirl." #53 told her, starting to turn around. "Come with me..."_

_Rose just stared at the young trainee for a few seconds before she and Teresa turned their heads to the side to look at each other. Both girls shrugged and turned their attention back to #53, who was walking down the hall slowly, assuming that Rose was following her. However, #53 soon got the sense that she was not being followed, so she stopped and turned around, just in time to see both Rose and Teresa walking toward her._

_"Not so fast..." #53 said, holding her arms out to stop both girls. "...Only Huntsgirl is coming with me..." She said as she turned her head to the side, looking at Teresa._

_"But..." Teresa began._

_"It's okay, Teresa..." Rose said, turning her head to the side. "...I'll be back. I'll see you at dinner tonight. And that's at the latest..."_

_"Sure you will." #53 put a smile on her face as she turned back around. With her back now to Rose, her smile dropped. "Or not..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_Minutes later, Rose followed #53 into the library, where they could see #666 and #56 sitting at the table, with a few other trainees sitting at separate tables. The two girls wordlessly walked over to the table, where both #666 and #56 looked up and turned their heads to the side as Rose reached the table with #53._

_"Aw, well done..." #666 smiled at #53. "...You've done your job well. You can go now."_

_"Actually..." #53 said timidly as she looked at #56, their eyes meeting. "...There was something I wanted from #56..." She then leaned over so that her face was right in front of #56's. She started to pucker her lips, but #56 just shrugged._

_"Alright." He said reaching up and bringing his hand down on #53's head, patting it twice. "Thanks for the help. You were a great help and all. You can go now..."_

_"But..." A look of shock came onto #53's face, but it was quickly replaced with a frown. With a "hmphh!", #53 straightened up and whirled around, quickly walking away, leaving Rose alone with the two trainees._

_"What do you want?" Rose asked._

_"We know that you've gone through a lot, Huntsgirl..." #666 said as he leaned back in his chair, smiling at her. "...It can't be easy being back here and getting all of this ridicule after the Grand Equinox Hunt..."_

_"Like I care..." Rose retorted, putting her hands on her hips._

_"You know you care..." #666 said, starting to stand up from his chair. "...Just admit it, Huntsgirl. You do care and you want it to stop. You don't like every single trainee at this school laughing at you..."_

_"Well, we know a way for it to stop..." #56 said, also getting up from his chair as well. Feeling a little nervous, Rose took a step back, just as #666 spoke up again:_

_"The answer is simple, Huntsgirl. Leave the Huntsclan..."_

_"Wh...What?" Rose's eyes widened in shock as she took another step back._

_"Leave the Huntsclan." #56 repeated, much more impatiently than his "friend". "Leave and never come back!"_

_Rose was quite startled by this, and her wide eyes showed this. It was her secret that she wished to leave the Huntsclan and never return, but she could not let the two trainees know that. So, to hide her secret desire, she quickly re-composed herself and narrowed her eyes._

_"How dare you?!" She demanded, clenching her fists. "I am loyal to my clan and only my clan!"_

_To Rose's surprise, #56 slowly shook his head. "I was afraid of that..." He said. Then, with a battle cry, he charged, running toward Rose._

_Her eyes wide, Rose took a step back with her eyes wide. Recovering quickly, Rose shouted as she jumped off her feet and lashed out with her foot as #56 reached her. Rose's foot made contact with #56's chest and the trainee grunted as he was thrown back, thrown off of his feet._

_With a shout, the trainee was thrown back until his feet hit the table. With a grunt, the trainee fell back onto the table with such a force that the thick table top actually splintered into many pieces, causing #56 to fall onto the ground on his back with a thud._

_Rose stared down at the unmoving #56 for a few seconds, but she was forced to turn away when she heard the sound of a growl coming from the opposite side of the table. #666 was coming right for her and as he got close enough, he swung her fist at her._

_Grunting, Rose jerked back, making it so that #666's fist whizzed past her. As this happened, many of the trainees sitting at separate table got up from their seats, surprised as they watched the fight._

_#666 grunted as he jumped into the air, trying to spin-kick Rose. Rose avoided this by ducking down. As #666 landed on the floor, Rose jumped back up and threw a punch, which #666 was able to block with his arm. _

_"You're pretty good..." Rose grunted as she tried to kick him, #666 jumping back to avoid the kick._

_"Of course..." He told her. "...Both of my parents were in the Huntsclan. They trained me well..." He then grunted as he lunged for Rose again._

_As the fight continued, several Huntsclan trainees stopped outside the door on their way to their next classes, and they turned to look into the library, many even rushing toward the door to get a closer took._

_Rose and #666 grunted as they locked hands, trying to struggle over one another for victory. Trying to win, #666 tried to kick Rose, but with a grunt, Rose jumped up, flipping over #666's back, landing right behind him. Before #666 could react, he gasped as Rose reached over and grabbed his shoulders._

_Grunting, Rose pulled and ultimately squatted down as she managed to lift #666 off of his feet and throw him into the air. #666 screamed as he flew through the air, grunting as he landed in the middle of a book row aisle on his back, grunting. #666 slowly lifted his head up off of the ground, but only for a short while; moaning with pain, he set his head back down on the ground._

_Grunting, Rose stood straight back up and slowly turned around, preparing to leave. However, she gasped as she saw the crowd of about twenty Huntsclan trainees all crowded around the outside of the library, all looking in at her._

_However, Rose quickly got over her surprise and did her best to give them all her best glare and her best Huntsgirl voice. "What are you looking at?" She asked as she put her hands on her hips._

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: Please review!**


	4. Chapter 4

Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Two)

Chapter/Episode Four: To Kill A Traitor

_It was lunch at the Huntsclan Academy, and Teresa and Amberly were both sitting at their regular lunch table, on the opposite sides of each other. Hearing footsteps, Teresa turned her head to the side to see Rose walking up to the table with her tray in her hands. "Hey, Rose." Teresa smiled at her as Rose came over next to Amberly and sat down._

_"Hey..." Rose returned as she reached up and pulled off her mask._

_"So, what was all of that about in the library?" Teresa asked._

_"Oh, just two imbeciles trying to make life difficult for me..." Rose mentioned as she reached down and grabbed her fork. However, instead of actually eating her food, she just picked at it. "...They wanted me to leave the Huntsclan. I told them no. They attacked. It's all over..."_

_"Did...did you hurt them?" Teresa asked, her eyes filling with worry._

_"Grow up." Amberly replied, setting down her fork. "They attacked her first. She was just protecting herself. It really sounds like she gave them exactly what they deserved." Smiling, Amberly put her hand on Rose's shoulder. "Good ol' Huntsgirl..."_

_"I actually agree with Amberly..." Rose told Teresa. "...They did attack me first. I know they'll be okay, though. I've dealt worse to others..."_

_Just as she said this, all three girls turned their heads to the side when they saw two girls in trainee uniforms walking up to the table, both of their hands on their hips, smiling. Rose recognized them immediately as the orangey-blonde and the brunette trainees that were in the hall when she was put in the closet._

_"Huntsgirl, hi..." said the brunette trainee said._

_"What do you want?" Rose asked, giving the trainee her best Huntsgirl tone._

_"We're holding a sleepover in my quarters..." said the blonde-ish trainee. "...We're inviting all the girls that we know..."_

_The brunette quickly cut in: "...We would have only invited your two friends and that was our plan, but..." She paused for a moment before continuing: "...Then we heard about what happened in the library..."_

_"What about it?" Rose asked, still using her Huntsgirl tone._

_"...We thought it was supremely awesome!" Exclaimed the blonde-ish trainee. clasping her hands together as he friend crossed her arms. "We all thought that you had lost your skill, but now we see that you haven't!"_

_"In fact, it was said that you were just as amazing as it had been believed..." The brunette continued. "...Completely worthy of your status as The Huntsmaster's apprentice..."_

_"So..." the blonde-ish trainee. "...Do you three want to come? There will be plenty of room..."_

_"Well, I..." Rose started, but her eyes widened as Amberly quickly stood up, turning to face the two female trainees._

_"Of course we'll come!" Amberly told them."Excellent..." The brunette trainee said, starting to turn around. "...We'll see you three tonight then. Come on..." The brunette trainee then started to walk off and her blonde-ish friend quickly turned around and followed her._

_Sighing, Rose turned her head in the opposite direction as Amberly sat back down, smiling as she picked up her fork again. "Why did you do that?" Rose nearly hissed, making Amberly drop her fork._

_"Did I do something wrong?" She asked, turning her head to the side._

_"I really don't want to go." Rose told her, her tone softening. "The last thing I want is to-"_

_"Come on, Rose..." Amberly smiled as she turned her attention back to her food. "...The Huntsgirl will rule the sleepover..."_

_Watching Amberly put her fork into her mouth, Rose sighed as she turned her head back to normal; Teresa watched as Rose sighed, putting her chin in her hand._

_LINE BREAK_

_Night had fallen over the Huntsclan Academy and Rose had a dreading look in her eyes as she walked in-between both Amberly, who had a smile on her face, and Teresa, who had an indifferent look on her face. Despite all three of them wearing their uniforms and masks, all three of them also carried rolled up sleeping bags under their armpits._

_"You know, maybe this won't be so bad, Rose..." Teresa tried._

_"Or it will be the worst thing you've ever experienced." Rose replied calmly. "This is a school of dragon slayers, after all."_

_No one said anything for the remainder of the walk, Teresa just staring in front of her in soundless, personal thought._

_Finally, the three reached the door to the blonde trainee's door. Taking a deep breath, Rose stepped to the side and reached up, knocking on the door three times. Within seconds, the door opened, revealing the face of the blonde-ish trainee. She smiled as she saw the three of them._

_"Come on in." She said, taking a step back. "Everyone is here. You three are the last ones to arrive."_

_Nodding, Rose started to walk into the room, followed by Amberly and then Teresa. As she walked into the room, she could see that there were about eight trainees on the floor, including the brunette trainee and the trainee that had called Rose to the library earlier that day. They were both in the front of two rows and as Rose walked closer, she could see three more trainees lined up on their stomachs next to the brunette and three lined up next to #53. A ninth trainee was lying on the top bunk._

_"Set your stuff down..." the blonde-ish trainee said, turning around after closing the door and turning around to face the three girls who had their back to her. "...Lie down and then this slumber party can begin..." The trainee said as she started to walk toward the three girls._

_LINE BREAK_

_Moments later, Rose, Teresa and Amberly were lying down on their stomachs on their sleeping bags, rounding out the two rows into a sort of cylinder shape._

_"You know what I kind of wish this school taught us?" The blonde-ish trainee asked as she lied on her bed._

_"What?" #53 asked._

_"I wish..." the blonde-ish trainee continued. "...That we were taught how to get dragon blood out of our blouses. I mean, they tell us how to slay a dragon so we won't get our clothes dirty, but once we graduate from here and start to work on the field, we're going to have personal lives. What if we're just attacked by a dragon after going to the mall and we slay it, getting is blood all over our top?"_

_"You know, I think that's a valid hope for a class..." the brunette trainee said._

_As Rose listened to this, she tried to look down, but she looked back up and turned her head to the side when she heard moaning coming from Teresa, who had started to lower her head. "Hey, listen to me..." Rose whispered, making the still moaning Teresa look up and slowly turn her head to look at Rose. "...It's okay."_

_"Rose, it's making me feel sick to my stomach..." Teresa moaned. _

_"Try to drown it out with your own thoughts..." Rose advised. "...It usually works for me..."_

_"Say, I wonder if it would leave a stain..." the brunette trainee wondered out loud._

_Hearing this, Teresa moaned again, quickly dropping her face down to the floor, starting to make a heaving noise. Rose managed to calm her down quickly, though, by reaching out and patting her on her back. "It's okay..." She said softly. "...Just calm down. Try to think about something else..."_

_However, once she heard Teresa moan again, Rose sighed as she turned her attention to the blonde-ish trainee, just as she opened her mouth again. However, before she could form any words, Rose beat her to it:_

_"Hey." She spoke. ""Listen, do you mind if we switch the topic of the conversation?"_

_"Why?" the brunette trainee asked, turning her head to the side to look at Rose._

_"It's...uh...#101..." Rose answered, turning her head to the side. "...She's...uh...kind of queasy..." Saying this, she turned her head back to normal. "...She's been taking that whole skimming to avoid the blood thing to heart..." Rose whispered._

_The brunette trainee looked like she was going to come up with a retort, but before she could, her blonde-ish friend beat her to a more kind response: "That's okay." She said. "Sure, we can switch topics. What should we talk about, then?"_

_There was a brief moment of silence before one of the trainees that Rose didn't recognize popped up with an idea: "Ooh! I know!" She exclaimed. "How about #666!"_

_Hearing swoons coming from the other girls, Rose turned her head to the side to look at Teresa, who managed to lift up her head and turn it to the side to look at Rose. "Thanks..." Teresa managed._

_"I hope that he takes me to the Dragon Slayer's dance that's coming up in a few months..." one of the girls stated._

_"Except, he probably won't be here..." the brunette trainee told her, turning her head to the side. "...Everyone knows that he'll go to the Graduation Rite and he'll be the first one to slay a magical creature. Then he'll leave and go work in the field."_

_"But what if he doesn't?" Another female trainee said hopefully._

_"Then he won't care about the dance..." the brunette trainee countered. "...And he won't ask you because he won't care. He'll be too ticked off that he didn't graduate."_

_"What about you, #53?" the trainee next to #53 asked, turning her head to the side. "How come you're not into this conversation?"_

_"Because she likes #666's friend..." the brunette training smiled cruelly as she spoke sarcastically. _

_"Is there something wrong with that?" #53 asked, her tone darkening as she narrowed her eyes as the trainee next to her gave her a weird look. _

_"Nothing..." the brunette trainee's cruel smile only widened. "...Except he's too stupid to realize that someone even likes him. You're wasting your time..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_A door creaked as it opened, leading inside a dark room. The light switch on and #666 stepped into her quarters, followed slowly by #56. "That plan didn't work..." #666 said as he walked over to his bed while #56 just stood at the door. "...Close the door..." #666 ordered as he knelt down at the side of the bed._

_"Why?"_

_"Don't ask, just do..." #666 growled as he started to reach for something that was under his bed. _

_"Alright, alright..." #56 quickly gave in; turning around, he closed the door and then turned back around as #666 pulled a long steel box out from under the bottom bunk. Holding it in his hands, he got to his feet and set it down on the bunk. "...What is that?" #56 asked as he walked up beside his "friend"._

_"Our last attempt failed..." #666 told him. "...Normally..." He turned his head to the side to look at #56. "...I would want to back out, but you have already helped me, so I am willing to show a little bit of honor..."_

_"That doesn't tell me what's inside that box." #56 pointed out as #666 turned his head back to normal._

_"I told you before..." #666 said. "...You can't get the Huntsgirl to just walk away from the Huntsclan. She'd come back." As he said this, he reached down and undid the lock to the box, opening it to reveal a Huntsclan staff. "To make sure she doesn't come back..." #666 said with a cruel grin as he turned his head to the side. "...She has to die..."_

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_Holding the staff in one hand, #666 closed the steel case, turning to the side to face #56. "How did you get that?" #56 asked, turning to the side as well. "Trainees aren't supposed to have those."_

_"This was my father's..." #666 said as he took the staff in both hands instead of one. "...He left it for me after he died..."_

_"That was cool of him..."_

_"Yes." #666 smiled. "It was cool of him to be buried in the tomb that was the easiest to break into..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_Back in the quarters of the blonde-ish trainee, all of the girls had fallen asleep-all except for Rose. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing soundly, but she was wide awake. Opening her eyes, Rose climbed to her feet and turned around and started to tiptoe toward the door._

_She quickly reached it, and she slowly reached out and grabbed the door, turning the knob and pulling the door open. Rose quickly tiptoed out of the room and then slowly closed the door behind her._

_"Phew!" She exclaimed to herself. "It feels good to be out of there..."_

_Rose then started to walk down the hall silently, completely unaware that she was being followed by two trainees, one of them holding a staff in his hands. Grinning, #666 pointed his staff at Rose's back, who was still walking, completely unaware of what was happening from behind her. Closing one eye to take better aim, #666 fired the staff, a blast of green plasma coming out from the tip._

_The blast of plasma flew down toward Rose, hitting her in the back as she continued to walk down the hall. Rose gasped with pain as she was thrown off of her feet, falling forward before she landed face-first on the ground, unmoving as #666 and #56 started to run over to her._

_"Is she dead?" #56 asked, turning her head to the side as he and his "friend" stopped running, reaching Rose._

_"Don't be stupid!" #666 retorted. "She's out cold."_

_"But you said we needed to kill her..." #56 pointed out, turning his attention back down to the unconscious girl. "...The last I knew, unconscious is not dead."_

_"Of course it isn't..." #666 growled in annoyance. "...That's why we're going to take her outside to finish the job..."_

_"I don't follow..." #56 replied, turning his head to the side again._

_"Of course you don't..." #666 rolled his eyes. "...Listen carefully. We're going to take her out into the yard and wait until she wakes up. Then, I'm going to wait up on the roof and strike her down..."_

_"And...what do I do?"_

_"Aw, you're part is essential to us getting away with this..." #666 grinned as he turned his head to the side to look at #56. "...You are going to be acting like a dragon, so that while I am up on the roof, I will be trying to slay you, only to slay Huntsgirl. Get it?"_

_There was a brief pause before #56 finally replied: "Uh...say again..."_

_Groaning, #666 returned his head back to normal, slapping himself in the forehead with his palm. "Just get Huntsgirl outside." He ordered. "And do it quickly. She'll come to in fifteen minutes. I'll be back in five with the supplies we will need..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_#56 was now sitting outside the school sitting next to Rose, who was still unconscious and was lying on her back. However, as a moan came from Rose, #56 jumped to his feet and whirled around, looking down at Rose, only to see that Rose had not awoken yet._

_Looking up as he heard the door opening, #56 could see that #666 was exiting through the door, holding his staff in one hand and dragging a green dragon skin with his other. "Here." He said, tossing his "friend" the skin._

_"What is this for?" #56 asked as he caught it._

_Sighing, #666 shook his head. "Just put it on..." He groaned. "...And go hide. When I see Huntsgirl wake up, I'll signal you to start acting like a dragon..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_In a bright green orb of light, #666 appeared on the roof, clutching his staff. Walking over to the ledge, #666 looked down on the ground, waiting for the unconscious Huntsgirl to wake up. "This could take awhile..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_Back on the ground, Rose groaned again as she slowly opened her eyes. Groaning as she sat up, Rose looked from side to side. "Huh?" She asked to herself. "How did I get out here?"_

_LINE BREAK_

_Back on the roof, #666's eyes widened as he saw Rose wake up. Aiming is staff into the bushes where he was certain that his "friend" was hiding, he fired the staff, shooting out green plasma._

_LINE BREAK_

_#53 was sitting on his knees on the grass, his head to the side as he looked down at the green dragon skin. However, he gasped and looked up as he saw the green plasma whizzing above him. Quickly getting to his feet, he looked over the bushes and saw that Rose had gotten up to her feet._

_LINE BREAK_

_Still groaning, Rose reached back and put her hand on her back. "It feels like I've been blasted from behind..." Still groaning, she turned to the side and started to walk toward the door, just as from up above, #666 started to twirl his staff, morphing it into a bow with a glowing green arrow._

_Grinning, #666 took aim and fired, the arrow whizzing to the ground, headed for Rose..._

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_The arrow continued to whiz down toward Rose, making the girl jump back in shock as the arrow planted itself into the ground just a few inches in front of her. Quickly looking up, Rose could see another arrow coming right for her._

_Holding her breath, Rose jumped into the air just as it came upon distance of her. As the arrow planted itself in the ground, Rose flipped backward and landed safely on her feet._

_LINE BREAK_

_From up above, #666 growled as he lowered the bow, looking down to see that Rose was still standing. He watched as Rose knelt down in front of the last of the arrows that were shot into the ground, reaching out for it._

_Quickly taking aim again, #666 fired._

_LINE BREAK_

_Without pulling the arrow out of the ground, Rose held it in her hand. "What is going on?" She asked to herself, just as she heard a whizzing noise. _

_Looking up, Rose gasped as she saw another arrow coming right toward her. Without getting to her feet, Rose put her hands on the grass and pushed herself up into the air, allowing her to flip backward and land on her feet once again._

_LINE BREAK_

_Back on the roof, #666 growled again as he lowered the bow, looking out to the bushes. "That imbecile..." He growled._

_LINE BREAK_

_Walking over to the third arrow, Rose squatted down and reached out, grabbing it with one hand and pulling it out of the grass. Staring at it, Rose made a confused face. "I've got to get out of here and get back inside." She quickly decided._

_Dropping the arrow, Rose stood straight up and quickly started walk for the entrance, only to freeze as she heard the sound of rustling coming from the bushes._

_Freezing, Rose quickly turned around as the bushes stopped rustling, #56 running out of the bushes wearing the green dragon skin. "What the...?" Rose muttered, just as she heard a whistling sound coming from behind her. Turning her head to the side, she could see another arrow coming right toward her._

_Grunting, Rose jumped into the air, flipping over #56 just as the arrow planted itself into the ground. #56 quickly spun around, just in time to hear a "HIYAH!" as Rose's boot made contact with his face._

_Grunting, #56 was thrown off of his feet and he flew back a few inches before he landed on his back, the entire skin coming off of his body as he landed, revealing him. _

_Her eyes wide with surprise, Rose started to walk over to the unconscious trainee, only to stop when she heard the sound of another whizzing arrow. Gasping, rose glanced up to see another arrow coming right toward her. Grunting, Rose jumped back, back-flipping as she put her hands on the grass, pushing her into one more flip, allowing her to land on the ground with one knee bent as the other leg was outstretched, leaving Rose in a defensive position._

_"Where are those coming from?" Rose whispered to herself as she looked up at the roof, just as she heard another whizzing sound, seeing a glowing green arrow coming right toward her._

_Growling, Rose jumped to the side using her position to her advantage as the arrow planted itself in the ground right where Rose had been squatting. _

_Rose rolled across the grass for a few seconds, finishing as she landed on her stomach. Growling, Rose quickly picked herself up and got to her feet. Staring up at the roof briefly, she took charge, running for the wall._

_As soon as Rose reached the wall, she grunted, jumping up at an angle so that her feet touched the wall. Grunting, Rose quickly pushed, starting to run up the wall. Using her agility, once she had gotten enough air, Rose launched herself up and managed to reach out and grab the side of the roof._

_Grunting, Rose lifted herself up and flipped up, landing on her feet on the roof. She quickly turned to the side, only to gasp as she found that a bow and arrow were now being pointed at her. Holding the bow and arrow, #666 grinned evilly at her._

_"Hello, Huntsgirl..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_In her quarters, Huntsgal was lying under her bed without her dragon skull helmet, sleeping under the covers. However, her eyes opened when she heard a pounding sound at her door. Groaning, Huntsgal rolled over onto her side._

_"What?" She demanded._

_"Huntsgal!" came the voice of a female hunter. "We have a problem!"_

_LINE BREAK_

_A few seconds later, the female soldier took a step back as the door opened and Huntsgal, now wearing her dragon skull helmet, stepped outside. "What is the issue?" She asked, crossing her arms, showing off how impatient she was._

_"A...As no...normal..." the soldier was slightly nervous. "...W...We performed the inspections to see if all students are i...in their quarters..."_

_"And?"_

_"And...And..." the soldier stuttered. "...And there are three students missing..."_

_"Three?" Huntsgal lowered her arms._

_"Well, act...actually..." the soldier continued. "...There are two students missing. The other-I'm not sure if she qualifies as a student-"_

_"If they attend classes and are being checked on each night, then they are students..."_

_"Then there are three studen...students missing, ma'am..."_

_"Who?" The impatient tone returned to Huntsgal, and she started to clench her fists._

_"Um..." the soldier continued, still very nervous. "...#56, #666 and...and Huntsgirl..."_

_Hearing this, Huntsgal's eyes widened. "Huntsgirl, you say?" She asked. Then, without any warning, she quickly stepped away from the door and turned, starting to walk down the hall, just as quickly as she had stepped away from the door._

_LINE BREAK_

_Huntsgal was standing, with her arms crossed, at the end of one of the halls in the Academy, right outside the cafeteria. She watched down the hall as she watched three Huntsclan soldiers walking toward her._

_Huntsgal waited until the three soldiers stopped in front of her and as soon as they did, she sighed as she lowered her arms. "It appears that we have three students who are wandering around passed curfew..." She told them._

_Taking a step closer, she continued: "...The Huntsgirl and numbers 666 and 56 are out there somewhere. You!" She pointed at the first hunter at her right. "I want you to search the halls and any rooms other than dorms. Classrooms, the arena. Any room you can think of. You!" She pointed at the hunter in the middle. "I want you to search the air dents." Then, she finally pointed at the third and final hunter. "And you...I want you to go outside and check out there."_

_"And what about you, ma'am?" The middle soldier asked._

_"That's none of your business..." Huntsgal said dangerously, her eyes narrowing._

_LINE BREAK_

_Back on the roof, Rose jumped up into the air as #666 swiped at her feet with his staff. "Now this doesn't look fair..." Rose said sarcastically in her Huntsgirl tone as she took a step back. "...How do you expect me to fight at your level when you have a staff and I don't?"_

_"That's the thing, Huntsgirl..." #666 smiled again as he pointed his now glowing staff at her. "...I don't want a fight."_

_"Then what do you want?" Rose retorted angrily._

_"Isn't it obvious?" #666 shrugged. "I want you dead..."_

_As Rose's eyes widened in realization, #666 fired his staff, sending a green blast of plasma coming right for her. Reacting quickly, Rose jumped to the side and somersaulted to a halt, landing on her feet and standing straight back up and whirling around._

_Quickly, #666 turned to the side and quickly fired another green plasma blast. This time, Rose waited until it was close enough to her. Once it was, she grunted as she jumped into the air above the blast as it whizzed by as Rose landed back on the ground, prepared for a fight._

_"Hey, why don't you put that thing down and fight me like a real, brave Huntsclan warrior?" Rose mocked._

_"Shut up..." #666 ignored her as he fired another blast at his enemy._

_As the green plasma came toward her, Rose once again waited until it was close enough to jump over. With a "HIYAH!", Rose launched herself over the blast and hit the roof, starting to somersault toward her attacker. _

_As Rose reached him, she stopped rolling and landed on her knees, lashing out with her arm, hitting the staff and knocking it out of #666's hands, making it fly over the ledge and fall to the grass._

_"Let's see how you fight without your staff..." Rose said as she threw a punch from below, aimed at #666's head. However, #666 managed to duck, avoiding the punch. Then, he jumped into the air and lashed out with his foot, kicking Rose in the chest._

_Rose grunted as she fell back, her back colliding against the roof..._

_LINE BREAK_

_Huntsgal was walking down the halls of the school, only to stop as heard a thud coming from up above. Looking up at the ceiling, she heard another thud._

_"The roof..." She muttered. Looking down, she then spun around and started to run down the hall._

_LINE BREAK_

_Outside, the door to the exit opened as the hunter who had been ordered to go outside stepped out. Immediately, he saw the still unconscious #56 lying under the green dragon skin._

_"Well, what do we have here?" He muttered to himself as he started to walk over to #56. Crouching down beside him, he looked down at the dragon skin underneath the unconscious trainee. "It looks like we have a thief..." the soldier said as he looked down at #56._

_After staring at #56 for a few moments, the soldier looked up, only to see the fallen staff of #666 a few feet away. "What the...?" the soldier asked only to hear the sound of grunts and shouts coming from above. _

_Turning his head to the side and looking up, the soldier's eyes widened as he saw Rose and #666 fighting on the roof. Rose flipped over #666's back after he threw a punch at her. Rose landed and spun around before #666 could. With a shout, Rose jumped into the air and delivered a kick to the trainee's back._

_"Now how did they get up there?" the soldier asked._

_LINE BREAK_

_On the roof, #666 grunted as he slid across the roof. Finally, he came to a rest; moaning, he rolled back onto his back, lifting his head up as he watched Rose slowly walk up to him. "Why are you doing this?" Rose demanded._

_#666 said nothing. Instead, he climbed back up to his feet. However, before he could charge for Rose. He froze as a bright orb of green light appeared from behind. It quickly faded and #666 slowly turned around, only to release a shriek of pain as a green blast of plasma energy hit him in the stomach and chest._

_Gasping, Rose watched as the trainee was blasted off his feet, flying back a few inches before he hit the roof with a thud. As #666 hit the ground, Rose glanced down at him before she looked back up to see Huntsgal lowering a staff._

_"I would stand still if I were you, Huntsgirl..." She warned dangerously. "...Unless you want to join #666 in a little nap."_

_"Huntsgal, please." Rose tried, holding her hands to her chest in surrender. "I did nothing wrong. They attacked me first."_

_"Keep your mouth shut, Huntsgirl." Huntsgal barked, taking aim with her staff yet again. "Say another word and when you wake up, you're going to be in the dungeon."_

_Rose opened her mouth to say something from behind her mask, but she quickly thought better of it. Instead, she just sighed as Huntsgal lowered her staff and started to walk over to her. "Okay, so here is what you're going to do..." As soon as she reached the feet of #666, she continued. "...You're going to pick up your little friend and then you're going to follow me. Understand?"_

_Not wanting Huntsgal to stun her, Rose said nothing; she just nodded._

_"Good." Huntsgal said, turning around and walking back over to where she had been standing only a few seconds ago._

_Sighing, Rose leaned over and grabbed both of #666's outstretched arms. Grunting, she lifted him up into a sitting position. Then, grunting again, she stepped back and straightened her back, managing to get the trainee who had been trying to kill her to his feet._

_Rose then ducked her head down as she pulled at #666's arms. With a "HIYAH!" Rose managed to lift #666 up off of his feet, flipping him over onto her back, making her grunt with pain, her eyes widening._

_With #666 taken care of, Rose slowly started to walk over to where Huntsgal was standing._

_"Now stand right beside me." Huntsgal ordered as Rose stopped in front of her._

_Still not wanting to say anything, Rose just nodded as she took a step to the side and then slowly turned around._

_"Good." Huntsgal said as she reached out and put her hand on Rose's shoulder. Then, using her other hand, she tapped her staff on the roof._

_Then, in a bright orb of green light, the three Huntsclan members vanished from the roof._

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: Please review. **


	5. Chapter 5

Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Two)

Chapter/Episode 5: Kraken or Darkness

_The door to one of the classrooms was pushed open and Huntsgal stepped in. After taking a few steps inside, the huntress stopped and turned around as Rose slowly walked in, still clutching the still unconscious #666. "What do you want me to-" Rose started to say, only to stop and widen her eyes as Huntsgal pointed the blade of her staff at Rose's face._

_"Did I say you could talk?" Huntsgal asked dangerously, her eyes narrowed. However, after she asked this, her gaze softened. "Set him down at one of the tables..." She turned to the side and pointed her staff at one of the two front tables. "...Then sit down next to him." Huntsgal added, turning her head to the side to look at Rose. "And don't get up."_

_Without saying a word, Rose started to slowly walk over to the desk. As soon as she reached one side of the table, she slowly managed to turn to the side while balancing the unconscious #666 on her back. Then, she managed to completely turn around._

_"Oh, just drop him on the floor..." Huntsgal rolled her eyes. _

_Rose considered this for a brief second before she grinned from behind her mask; listening to Huntsgal. Letting go of the trainee, she turned around as #666 hit the floor. _

_"Just leave him there until he wakes up..." Huntsgal suggested. "...And sit down..."_

_Without saying a word, Rose started to walk around the table. Then, she sat down, staring at Huntsgal. Huntsgal stared back at her, but her attention was quickly drawn to the door as she heard footsteps. The Huntsclan soldier who had been ordered to check outside stepped in carrying #666's staff in one hand and the green dragon skin in the other, while the other two followed him inside, holding #56 by his arms, dragging the trainee's belly and legs across the floor._

_"What's this?" Huntsgal asked, turning to the side._

_"I found these outside, ma'am." The soldier said, walking up to Huntsgal and holding out the staff and the skin. "Along with trainee #56..." _

_Huntsgal stared at the items that the soldier carried for a few seconds before she finally spoke: "He was outside?"_

_"Yes, ma'am."_

_Nodding, Huntsgal turned to the side to face the table where Rose was sitting. "Hmm..." Huntsgal said with pleasure. "...It looks like these three have committed a much more serious crime than just breaking curfew. Sit him down next to Huntsgirl."_

_The two holding onto #56 quickly obeyed and they started to drag him over to the table Rose was sitting at, toward the seat next to her. Rose turned her head to the side and watched as the two soldiers picked up #56 and sat him down in the chair next to her. However, as soon as they let go of him and stepped back, the trainee groaned as he hunched over, his face plowing into the desk._

_"Good." Huntsgal nodded as she watched this, making Rose turn her head back to normal. "Now..." Huntsgal turned at an angle to look at the two soldiers who were now walking back toward her. "...I'm going to go outside to contact The Huntsmaster. I'll just be outside the door, so I don't think these three will be any trouble, especially when two of them are unconscious. However, in case they are any trouble, I want you three to stay here and guard them."_

_"Yes, ma'am." The two soldiers who set #56 in the chair said in unison._

_Nodding, Huntsgal turned to the side and started to walk toward the door. As soon as Huntsgal reached the door, she reached for the knob, turned it, opened the door and stepped outside, closing the door behind her._

_With Huntsgal gone, Rose stared at the three soldiers who were now guarding her and the two trainees that had tried to kill her. However, her attention was quickly drawn away from them and she turned her head to the side when she heard groaning coming from beside her. _

_#56 opened his eyes and used his hands to push himself up so that he was sitting up straight. Coughing once, he turned his head to the side. "You kicked me in the face." He finally said bluntly._

_"I hope it hurt..." Rose said in her Huntsgirl tone, crossing her arms._

_#56 started to open his mouth, only to close it and turn his head to the side when the door to the room opened again. Huntsgal started to walk into the room, but she froze when the booming sound of The Huntsman's voice cut her off. "LET ME IN!" _

_The next thing that Rose knew, Huntsgal grunted as she was forced to the side as The Huntsman quickly strode into the room. His fists were clenched and his eyes were narrowed. Only an idiot would not know that he was angry. _

_Making his way to the table that Rose and #56 were sitting at. As he stared down at them, #56 pressed his back against the chair in fear while Rose just stared back up at him, showing no emotion._

_The Huntsman just stared down at them for several moments, that was, until the groaning from #666 made him turn his head to the side as the moaning #666 slowly sat up. "Wh...What happened?" He asked. "Wh...Where am I?"_

_"Stand up!" The Huntsman barked in his direction. This made the trainee flinch before he slowly got to his feet. Once #666 was standing, The Huntsman turned his attention back to his old apprentice and #56._

_"Huntsmaster, I..." Rose began, but The Huntsman cut her off._

_"What is the meaning of this?" He growled as the soldier stepped forward, carrying the dragon skin and the staff that belonged to #666. "I do not tolerate theft in the Huntsclan..." The Huntsman crossed his arms. "...And I expected more from you, Huntsgirl..."_

_Rose wanted to say something to defend herself, but the words escaped her. Instead, she could only watched as Huntsgal walked up beside The Huntsman on the opposite side as the soldier who was carrying the staff and the skin._

_"Huntsmaster..." She asked. "...How do you intend to punish them? Surely, they should be severely punished..."_

_"And indeed they will be..." The Huntsman said dangerously as he narrowed his eyes at Rose, making hers widen. "...Tomorrow...first thing in the morning..." He looked up and turned his head to the side to look at Huntsgal. "...These three will fight the kraken."_

_With that, The Huntsman spun around and then walked away from the table, turning and starting to walk toward the door. As he reached the door, The Huntsman turned around to look at Huntsgal, who turned to the side to return the look. "Make sure that they all stay in here for the night." He told her. "First thing in the morning, I want you to personally escort them to the arena."_

_"Yes, Hunstmaster." Huntsgal bowed in respect._

_Satisfied, The Huntsman turned and opened the door, starting to walk out of the room. However, Rose quickly got up from her chair and started to run for the door. "Huntsmaster!" Rose exclaimed as she ran out of the room, making the leaving Huntsman stop and turn around._

_"Get back in that room, Huntsgirl!" He warned her threateningly, raising his fist._

_"Huntsmaster, let me explain myself..." Rose said calmly as she walked out of the room, turned to the side and started to walk toward her master. "...I had nothing to do with this. I was just-"_

_"You were supposed to be in the quarters of #23..." He told her as he lowered his fist._

_"I was." Rose told him, taking another step toward him as she clasped her hands together. "I was just leaving her room to get some fresh air. But then I was hit from behind. The next thing I knew, I was-"_

_"I've heard enough of this, Huntsgirl." The Huntsman crossed his arms. "You admit to leaving the room, so therefore, you broke curfew. Therefore, you will suffer the consequences..."_

_"But, Huntsmaster..."_

_"You..." The Huntsman repeated slowly. "...Will...fight...the...kraken...tomorrow..." As if he believed this was the end, he then lowered his arms and turned, walking down the hall._

_Now left alone, Rose could only watch her master leave with a shocked look in her eyes. However, that shocked look was quickly replaced with an angry look. Clenching both her fists, Rose growled: "I hate him..." Then, she turned around and started to walk back toward the classroom._

_LINE BREAK_

_The next morning, all of the Huntsclan trainees started to walk into the stands of the arena. Standing together in the middle of the crowd were Teresa and Amberly. While Amberly didn't seem concerned, Teresa looked around with a worried look in her eyes._

_"Have you seen Rose?" She as she turned her head to the side to look at Amberly._

_"No..." Amberly replied, almost as if she didn't care. _

_LINE BREAK_

_From up above, The Huntsman sat up above the bleachers in a stand with three blood-red chairs that sat two other Huntsclan masters. The Huntsman watched as an elevator came down from a hole in the ceiling._

_LINE BREAK_

_Inside the elevator, Rose was standing in-between #666 and #56; while #666 had an unreadable look on his face, #56 was shivering with fright. Turning her head to the side, Rose looked at Huntsgal, who was standing perfectly still, clutching her staff._

_Suddenly, the elevator came to a stop and Rose turned her head back to normal as the doors slid open, revealing the inside of the arena._

_As all of the trainees watched, #56 shouted in pain as he was kicked out of the elevator into the arena. Within seconds, #666 grunted as he was also kicked out. Inside the elevator, Huntsgal held onto one of Rose's shoulders and the back of her neck as she shoved her out. Rose gasped as she stumbled out before grunting as she landed on her side._

_LINE BREAK_

_The Huntsman stood up from his chair as the main headlight shone down on him. All of the trainees were quiet._

_The Huntsman watched as the elevator ascended back up toward the ceiling and as Rose, #56 and #666 climbed to their feet. "And now..." The Huntsman boomed out. "...You will all bare witness as these three thieves face a kraken. Begin!" He declared, extending his arms into the air as all of the trainees started to cheer._

_Back in the arena, Rose, #56 and #666 all turned to the side as a large gate started to slide open; the eyes of Rose, #56 and #666 all widened in fear as they heard a roar, followed by huge thuds. Within seconds, a large green creature appeared out of the darkness, roaring again._

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_In the bleachers, all of the trainees were cheering. All except for Teresa, whose eyes widened as she watched the three hunters in the arena running away from the towering kraken. "Rose..." She muttered. Turning her head to the side, she told Amberly quickly. "That's Rose!"_

_"Don't be such a party pooper!" Amberly turned her head to the side. "If any Huntsclan member can best a kraken, it's Huntsgirl." Turning her head back to normal, she pumped her fist into the air. "Go Huntsgirl!" She shouted._

_LINE BREAK_

_Back in the arena, Rose turned around to face the kraken as #56 and #666 continued running, passing her. Gulping, Rose clenched her fists as she looked at the kraken, her fists clenching as the kraken got close enough to roar and then bring down its claws right in front of Rose._

_Reacting quickly, Rose let out a "HIYAH!" as she lunged for the kraken, managing to grab onto its wrist and then start to climb up its arm as the kraken roared again, standing straight back up again._

_"What is she doing?" #56 asked, turning his head to the side to look at his friend._

_"What does it look like?" #666 asked, a small smile crossing his face. "Huntsgirl's making it easier for us. This way...the kraken will finish her off."_

_Rose was completely unaware of what the two trainees were doing as she climbed up the kraken's arm. She just managed to grab onto the kraken's arm before the kraken roared again, starting to shake itself around, making Rose her grip._

_"WH...WHOA!" Rose yelled with panic as her grip slipped and she started to fall. _

_However, the kraken reached to the side and managed to grab Rose, trapping the girl in its grasp. The kraken then lowered its head down to Rose's level; Rose's eyes then widened as the beast opened its mouth and roared right in her face._

_Then, the kraken whirled around and threw Rose across the arena; Rose yelled with fear as she flew toward the now closed gate of the tunnel that the kraken had exited. Grunting, Rose hit it with such force that the entire gate came off its hinges, falling down, taking Rose with it._

_LINE BREAK_

_"RO-HUNTSGIRL!" Teresa started, only to catch and correct herself. "Amberly!" She turned her head to the side. "We have to help her!"_

_Amberly looked a little more worried, but still, she shook it off. "I'm sure she'll be fine..."_

_Not knowing what to say to her fellow trainee, Teresa just stared back at Amberly for a few seconds with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. Nonetheless, she managed to look away. "I've got to help her..." Teresa said as she slowly got to her feet._

_Turning to the side, Teresa tried to walk down the aisle, but she was stopped as all of the other trainees sitting on the same bench were all cheering, pumping their fists into the air, making it difficult for Teresa to try to move._

_LINE BREAK_

_Standing and staring at the fallen gate, the kraken roared again, only to glance down as it heard panting. #56 was running around one leg while #666 was running around the other. "Hurry it up!" #666 barked as he started to outrun his "friend"._

_Roaring, the kraken hunched over and slammed its fists down on the ground. Since #56 was running slower than his "friend", he was caught in the vibration. Yelping with surprise, he was thrown off his feet, rolling across the ground as #666 continued running until he reached the area of the gate, running into the tunnel as Rose started to pick herself up, groaning._

_Seeing the kraken coming toward him, #56, with wide eyes, rolled over onto his stomach and picked himself up. Now on his feet, he started to run toward the tunnel where the two others were. He managed to run into the tunnel, with the kraken right behind him._

_As he ran into the tunnel, the kraken leaned over and reached in with its arm and hand. Turning her head to the side, Rose's eyes widened and she quickly jumped to her feet, running after #56 and #666 as they ran as far into the tunnel as they could._

_Both panting, #56 and #666 stopped in their tracks and turned around to see Rose come to a stop in her run as well. Breathing heavily, Rose turned around just as she heard a roar coming from the kraken. Its arm was still in the tunnel, clawing at the ground._

_"There's no way we're going back out that way..." Rose muttered as she turned around to face the two trainees._

_"What are you looking at?" #666 spat._

_"You two imbeciles got me into this." Rose put her hands on her hips. "So now that I'm stuck here with you, I only see one way out of this..."_

_"And what would that be?" #666 crossed his arms as #56 turned his head to the side to look at him._

_"...We're going to have to work together." Rose took her hands off of her hips. "I don't know where this place leads, so we could be down here for a long time. We might have even sealed our own doom by going through here. If we all want to get out of here, we'll have to work together."_

_"#56 and I can do that on our own without you..." #666 retorted. "...So why don't we just leave you as food for the krak-" However, he stopped and Rose once again whirled around as they all heard another roar coming from the beast._

_With another thud, the kraken seemed to finally realize that it could fit through the hole that started the tunnel, so it stepped in._

_Her eyes wide, Rose slowly started to back up. "Run..." She finally managed, then, they whirled along with the two trainees, all three of them running into the darkness._

_LINE BREAK_

_Outside the arena, The Huntsman's eyes were wide as he watched the kraken disappear back into the tunnel. "Those cowards!" He cursed, turning to the side and throwing his arms back in a dramatic fashion. _

_The Huntsman then fully turned around and started to walk back over to his chair, his staff leaning against the side of it. Grabbing his staff, The Huntsman turned back around and started to walk to the front of the stand again as she pressed a button on his staff and held it close to his face._

_"Huntsgal." He said._

_There was a brief static sound before the sound of Huntsgal's voice could be heard. "Yes, Huntsmaster?"_

_"Huntsgirl and those two trainees fled into the tunnel..." The Huntsman said dangerously. "...The kraken is following them..."_

_"It serves them right." Huntsgal's reply came. "There's nowhere to go but up. The kraken will pummel them into the ground."_

_"Yes..." The Huntsman replied in a tone that would make one believe that he wanted that to happen. However, he quickly continued: "...I want you and a team of soldiers to go down there with as many lengths of heavy duty unicorn horn chains. Restrain the kraken."_

_"But, Huntsmaster..."_

_"No buts." The Huntsman retorted. "I want to track those three down myself..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_Rose was now walking in-between #56 and #666 as they walked down the dark tunnel. They had stopped hearing the sound of the kraken's roar a few minutes earlier. Now, Rose was just looking around the tunnel, waiting to see if she could find a way out. She hadn't found one yet._

_"How much longer are we going to have to be down here?" #56 whined._

_"For as long as we need to, you dolt." #666 retorted. _

_"I'm trying to see if I can find a way out of here..." Rose said as patiently as she could, turning her head to the side to look at #56. She wanted nothing more than to just abandon both of the trainees and find a way out herself, but she knew that that would be heartless._

_"Hey, what's that?" #666 asked, pointing ahead of them. Returning her head back to normal, Rose could see that the tunnel had come to an end. They had come to a box-like room with a metal gate half-way down. _

_"This must be where they keep the kraken..." Rose muttered as the three of them came to a stop. "...I want both of you to stay here." She added, using her Huntsgirl tone to assert a little authority. Then, she slowly started to walk toward the box-like cell, leaving the two trainees alone._

_"Hey..." #56 turned his head to the side, making his "friend" return the gesture. "...You know, this is the perfect opportunity to finally kill her..."_

_"How so?" #666 retorted._

_"We could just...gang up on her and strangle her..."_

_"Then they would know that it was murder..." #666 returned his head back to normal to see that Rose had passed the half-way opened gate and was kneeling down in the cell. "...We need to make it look like it was either self-inflicted or an accident..."_

_Just as he said this, Rose got back to her feet and turned around, starting to walk back toward them. As she walked under the gate that was towering above, #56 turned his head to the side and whispered: "We could always drop the gate down on her. Tragic accident, right?"_

_"And how would we get that to happen?" #666 asked rhetorically, glancing to the side just as Rose stopped in front of them._

_"What are you talking about?" Rose asked, putting her hands on her hips again._

_"We're talking about trying to find a way out of here..." #666 quickly lied._

_"Well, I don't think that there is one." Rose told them. "That is without a doubt where they hold the kraken." Then, Rose sighed. "There has to be something we're missing..."Sighing, Rose lowered her head and slowly shook her head. "...Maybe the only way out is the way we came in..."_

_Rolling his eyes, #666 started to look around the area they were at, only to find exactly what Rose did: nothing. However, #666 also glanced up, and when he did, he saw that there was a hole in the ceiling, with an extension ladder. Unfortunately, the bottom of the ladder was up in the hole. _

_"There..." #666 pointed up, making Rose lift her head up. "...Up there..." #666 repeated, keeping his arm pointed upward as Rose stared at him. Looking up, Rose gasped as she spotted the hole and the ladder._

_"Our way out..." Rose stated softly._

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_"Stand back..." Rose held out her hands, making both #56 and #666 take two steps back each. "...I'll take care of this..." Rose claimed, clenching her fists, grunting as she jumped into the air. As soon as she thought she was high enough, Rose reached out to grab the bottom of the ladder. However, she wasn't close enough, so she just grabbed air as she started to fall back down._

_Grunting, Rose landed on her feet, looking at the two trainees. "You didn't take care of it..." #56 pointed out._

_"Just give me a minute!" Rose snapped at him. Then, she grunted again as she bent her knees and jumped into the air. Both #56 and #666 looked up only to see that Rose did not make it up as high up as she did before, now falling back down to the ground. Once again, Rose grunted as she landed on the ground, only this time, it was on her hands and knees._

_"One more time?" #666 asked rhetorically, crossing his arms._

_"I have a better idea..." Rose told him, her eyes narrowing. Then, she quickly climbed to her feet. "...#666, get on #56's shoulders. I'm going to use you as a ladder..."_

_"What?" #56 seemed shocked by this._

_"You want to get out of here, don't you?" Rose asked, putting her hands on her hips._

_#666 said nothing for a few seconds. Then, he just turned to the side and jumped into the air, landing on #56's shoulders, making him gasp in pain. "Quick." #666 said. "Get on." Nodding, Rose grunted as she jumped into the air, flipping in the air and landing on #666's shoulders. Slowly, #56 managed to stumble for about three steps, making it so that the three of them were right under the hole._

_Looking up at the hole, Rose grunted as she bent her knees and leapt off of #666's shoulders. Rose narrowed her eyes as she shot up into the air, nearing the hole in the ceiling. Finally, Rose reached out and reached for the bottom of the ladder, finally snagging it. As Rose fell back down to the ground, she took the bottom of the ladder, that started to unravel, down with her._

_On the ground, #666 had gotten off of his "friend's" shoulder and they stared as Rose hit the ground, the ladder completely unraveled. "I did it..." Rose said victoriously as she briefly turned around to gloat. Then, she turned back around and started to climb up the ladder. Not saying anything, #666 started to walk toward the ladder, #56 following him._

_LINE BREAK_

_Rose grunted as she reached the top of the ladder, stepping up onto the new level. Looking around, her eyes widened. She was standing on a large cross-shaped platform. As she started to walk down it, Rose glanced down at the arena, where she could see about ten Huntsclan soldiers surround the kraken, which had come out of the tunnel. All of the soldiers carried chains, which they threw at the beast._

_As Rose looked down at the action unfolding, #666 climbed up onto the platform, followed closely by #56. #666 started to go after Rose, looking around the area, a small smile crossing his face. _

_Stopping in his tracks, #666 slowly turned around to face #56, only to find that #56 was frozen in place, shaking. "What's wrong with you?" #666 asked as he started to walk over to him._

_"I...I don't li...like heights..." #56 managed._

_"Shame..." #666 rolled his eyes as he finished walking over to his friend. "...Because I think I just found the perfect way..." He quickly changed his voice to a whisper. "...To kill Huntsgirl..."_

_"R...Really?"_

_"Watch and find out..." #666's grin only widened as he slowly turned and started to walk over to Rose. "...Hey, Huntsgirl..." He said as he approached her, finally reaching her side and looking down with her, making Rose turn her head to the side._

_"What?"_

_"I think I just found the way down from here..." #666 looked up and turned his head to the side._

_"You did?"_

_"Yeah..." #666 turned to the side. "...Falling..." #666 then brought his hand up to Rose's back, but Rose, surprised, whirled to the side and jumped into the air, flipping back. Her hands hit the beam as she pushed herself back off of the beam as she landed on her feet, in a squatted position. As she slowly stood back straight up again, she turned her head to the side and could see that below her was a large box like level that had many wires._

_"So..." Rose asked as she turned her attention back to #666. "...You're trying to kill me again?" As she finished asking this, she took a fighting position, preparing for the worst._

_"Let's just say that I'm..." #666 smiled evilly. "...Under contract..." Then, with a "HIYAH!", he started to run toward Rose. As soon as #666 reached Rose, he jumped up into the air and tried to kick Rose, but with a grunt, Rose jumped into the air, even higher than #666 did, missing his leg._

_As she came back down, Rose threw a punch at #666, but the trainee just grinned as he jumped back. However, as he landed back on the beam, his right foot landed in an awkward position, making the trainee lose his balance._

_Gasping, #666 tried to steady himself by turning to the side, but he still started to fall from the beam. However, before he could start to fall, he grunted as Rose reached out and grabbed his hand, keeping him from falling, but leaving him dangling._

_"#666!" #56 shouted. He started to lift one of his feet, but as he glanced to the side, he quickly set his foot back down, his shaking starting again._

_As Rose held onto him, #666 stared up at her with wide eyes. "I'm not going to let you fall..." Rose promised him, her eyes narrowed with determination; she even took a small step back to try to pull him up._

_However, as this happened, Rose's grip slowly started to slip from #666's hand. #666 realized this, and he just had enough time to widen his eyes before his hand slipped from Rose's grasp. With a gasp, #666 fell, flailing his arms wildly and kicking out with his legs. #666's fall finally came to an end when he landed on the large area below them. First, his feet hit the box, making a sickening crack before #666 fell onto his back with a grunt._

_Rose watched from above as #666 groaned in pain. Sighing, Rose then jumped from where she was standing, landing on the box right next to the moaning #666, only on her feet, perfectly unharmed. _

_Standing straight back up, Rose looked over the ledge and saw the kraken roar as it lied on the ground, hunters holding chains wrapped around its wrists, holding it in place while more hunters held onto more chains that were around its belly and chest, holding it to the ground._

_LINE BREAK_

_In front of the restrained and roaring kraken, Huntsgal stood, her hands on her hips, only to turn her head to the side when she heard footsteps. She could now see The Huntsman walking onto the arena._

_"Huntsmaster!" Huntsgal called, turning to the side and starting to jog over to the leader of the Huntsclan. As soon as she reached him, she knelt down. "Are you ready to go find the three escapees?"_

_"It shouldn't take long..." The Huntsman growled, turning his head to the side. However, he quickly turned his head back to normal as Huntsgal stood back up. "...I want you to stay here and keep the kraken under control."_

_"Yes, Hunts-" Huntsgal started to reply, but she was cut off as she heard a girlish grunt and the gasps from several of the soldiers who were holding down the kraken. Turning around, Huntsgal's eyes widened as she saw Rose standing on the kraken's chest._

_"Huntsmaster..." Rose said, turning to the side and jumping off of the kraken's chest and starting to walk over to Huntsgal and The Huntsman. "...I don't understand." She said. "I thought we were to take on the kraken."_

_"You fled..." Huntsgal said accusingly, only to grunt as The Huntsman put his hand on her shoulder, walking her to the side so he could see his former apprentice._

_"I was simply just trying to get a drop on the beast." Rose said, shrugging. "I didn't think that you would think I was chickening out..."_

_"Then where are the others?" The Huntsman demanded nastily._

_"They...they did chicken out..." Rose quickly decided, crossing her arms. "...They...They couldn't handle it..."_

_The Huntsman just stared at Rose, giving her a quizzical look. Finally, after what felt like hours, his gaze softened. "I should have known..." He said. "...That you were better than that, Huntsgirl. Very good thinking..."_

_"Thank you, Master." Rose said respectfully, stiffly bowing._

_As Rose bowed and came back up, The Huntsman turned to the side to face Huntsgal, who turned to the side to face him. "I want you to go look for #56 and #666." He told her sternly._

_"I-" Huntsgal began, but she quickly stopped herself, quickly bowing. "Yes, Huntsmaster. I'll get right on it."_

_LINE BREAK_

_In Rose's shared quarters, Teresa was sitting at the side of the bunk-bed with her arms wrapped around her ankles, keeping her knees pressed against her chest while Amberly lied on her side, asleep._

_Suddenly, the door opened, and Rose stepped inside, her mask off, which she held in her free hand. Using her foot to close the door, she started to walk toward the bed as Teresa, with wide and relieved eyes, climbed to her feet._

_"Rose!" She shouted, running over to her._

_It caught Rose off guard to see Teresa wrap her arms around her waist, making Rose lift up her arms from her sides as she looked down. "I didn't know I'd be missed this much..." She said._

_"I was just worried..." Teresa said as she stepped away from her friend after unwrapping her arms from around her body._

_"Why?" Rose asked._

_"You had to fight the kraken..."_

_"I wouldn't call running away a fight..." Rose shrugged. "...But I'd say what's important is that I made it back in one piece..."_

_"I'll say..." Teresa smiled back, stepping to the side as Rose started to walk closer to the bed. Teresa turned around just in time to see Rose slowly bend her knees and grunt as she jumped up to the top bunk. Rose grabbed onto the side of the bed and pulled herself up, rolling over onto her side and then her back as she sighed in exhaustion._

_"Tired?" Teresa asked._

_"Kind of..." Rose gave her friend a small, weak smile as she rolled her head to the side. "...But you can stay in here if you want to. I'm just going to take a nap. I'll be awake for dinner."_

_"Sounds good..." Teresa said, sitting down on the floor and crossing her legs._

_Smiling at her friend one last time, Rose then slowly started to close her eyes, preparing for the nap that she had no doubt in her mind that she needed..._

END FLASHBACK

Rose finished this just as she yawned, Joel still staring at her. "I don't get it..." He finally muttered.

"You don't get what?" Rose asked, turning her head slowly to the side.

"You said things got worse." Joel shrugged. "But so far it looks like you had the problems taken care of. I mean, it sounds like you took care of your foes..."

"I would say that two trainees trying to murder me is pretty bad..." Rose told him, but then she smiled slightly. "...But yeah, I took care of them. I was the Huntsgirl, after all..."

"What happened to them?" Joel asked. "#56 and #666?"

"After that?" Rose asked. "Well, when #56 was found, The Huntsman was furious. I don't know what he had done to #56, but knowing The Huntsman, I doubt it was good. It took them longer to find #666. Both of his legs were broken and he threw out his back. He was in the Hunts-hospital for about three weeks."

"See?" Joel pointed out. "That's not so bad?"

"You misunderstood..." Rose told him calmly. "...Them trying to kill me was bad, but it was nothing compared to what was about to happen next..."

BLACKOUT; END

**A/N: Please review. **


	6. Chapter 6

Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Two)

Chapter/Episode 6: Friend or Slayer?

Inside Rose's new room, Joel watched as Rose went into a coughing fit, coughing about five times. After the fifth cough, Rose slowly set her head back down on the pillow. "What happened next?" Joel suddenly asked, making Rose slowly turn her head to the side.

"You said..." Joel continued. "...That things got worse after that day. What happened?"

"It was about a month and a half later..." Rose told him. "...Two weeks away from the Graduation Rite and a week and a half away from the day that the names of the students that would be allowed to go would be announced..."

_FLASHBACK_

_Rose was in the library in the Huntsclan Academy, sitting across from Teresa, who was hunched over, writing a paper. Rose's mask was on the table and she had her nose in a book. However, Rose slowly lowered the book as she stared at her friend._

_"Hey, Teresa?"_

_"Yeah?" Teresa responded, looking up from the paper that she was writing._

_"I honestly don't get it." Rose said as she closed the book she was reading, setting it down next to her mask. Putting her elbows on the table, she intertwined her fingers._

_"What don't you get?" Teresa asked, giving Rose a quizzical look._

_"You writing this paper." Rose told her. _

_"I have to write it to pass a class..."_

_"I know." Rose nodded. "But the paper you're writing is about how to slay a dragon. I'm surprised you're not puking chunks right about now, to be frank."_

_"I'm trying not to think about it." Teresa shrugged. "I'm not going into any graphic detail or anything, I'm just listing the ways that you can slay a dragon." As she said this, she looked back down at her paper. "In fact, I'm almost done."_

_"The teacher isn't going to like that." Rose shook her head. "It is about the teachings, but it's about which one of the teachings you would use. The teacher will want graphic description. They are training us to be killers, Teresa. We aren't getting out of here until our hands have permanent blood on them..."_

_"Then I don't want out of here." Teresa said, throwing her pen down on the table as she sat back in her chair. "I'm not going to become a killer, Rose. It's wrong. We're different, Rose. We know better."_

_"I didn't use to..." Rose admitted sadly. _

_"But you do now." Teresa told her. Then, somewhat of a crooked smile crossed her face. "I guess we'll be living here forever..."_

_Rose just stared back at Teresa as she said this, an unreadable look on her face. Finally, Rose sighed as she pulled her hands apart. Then, before Teresa could react, Rose reached out and snagged the paper away. Pulling it back over to her space, Rose looked down at the paper and read it. Teresa just stared at her friend with a nervous look on her face._

_Finally, Rose lowered the paper. "Well, I have no doubt in my mind that the teacher will hate this." She told Teresa. "Teresa, I don't want you to stay here forever." Rose shook her head. "This isn't the place for you."_

_"This isn't the place for you either, Rose." Teresa returned. "The fact of the matter is that we're both stuck here. We're both marked."_

_"I'll tell you what, Teresa." Rose said. "I will write this paper for you. I'll type it up on one of the Hunts-computers. Then, you can be considered for the Graduation Rite."_

_"I don't want to slay any magical creatures, though..." Teresa leaned forward in her chair._

_"You won't have to." Rose replied handing her friend back her paper. "You just go and don't slay any magical creatures. And if any of your superiors seem to be watching you, just pretend to be trying. All me doing the paper for you means that you will never have to write this paper again..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_Rose sat at one of the computers at the Hunts-library, typing at the keyboard. Briefly, Rose stopped to read over what she had just written. Nodding with satisfaction, Rose returned her fingers to the keyboard and began to type again._

_LINE BREAK_

_Rose knocked on the door to Teresa's shared quarters twice before she pulled her hand away. Rose then took two steps back as the door to the room opened, allowing Rose to see Teresa. "I...I finished the paper..." Rose told her, holding out the typed report, which was stapled together in five pages._

_"Thanks..." Teresa didn't know what other to say than this as she reached out and took the paper. _

_"No problem..." Rose shrugged. "...That's what friends are for..."_

_Teresa smiled as she nodded. "Do...Do you want to come inside?" Teresa finally asked, indicating to the inside of the room with her thumb. "My roommate is at one of her classes. We could...go over the paper or...talk..." She finished as she lowered her hand._

_"That sounds..." Rose tried to think about it quickly. "...Nice..." She finally decided, nodding._

_Smiling, Teresa turned around and walked back into the room, followed by Rose. Seconds after the girls entered the room, the door closed._

_LINE BREAK_

_Three knocks came from out in the halls and could be heard from inside the room. Seconds later, the door opened and #56 poked his head into the room. "Knock, knock." He said, walking into the room, only to find #666 lying under the covers of the bottom bunk, caught in a coughing fit. "You okay?" #56 asked as he started to walk toward his friend. _

_"I'm sick, you moron!" #666 growled, turning his head to the side once he finished coughing._

_"Oh..." #56 said as he stopped right at the side of the bed. Then, he put his hands on his hips and smiled. "...So, does that mean that I have to wait until tomorrow for you to help me again?"_

_"Help you?" After he said this, #666 was hit by another series of coughs._

_"Yeah..." #56's smile faded as #666 stopped coughing after a few seconds. "...You said that you would help me get rid of Huntsgirl to protect your image."_

_"I did it so I wouldn't have to write that paper..." #666 moaned in correction._

_"Well, you haven't helped me since we were sent to the kraken pit..." #56 told him sat down on his knees and leaned against the side of the bed. "...Maybe...you'd be willing to start helping me again..."_

_"I'm sick..." #666 repeated in a growl, rolling his head to the side. "...I haven't been helping you because I've been so busy. I was in the hospital for some time, then I had to make up work for my classes. Now-"_

_"Now you're sick..." #56 finished for him._

_"Very good..." #666 rolled his eyes._

_At this moment, #56 suddenly gasped and turned his head to the side when he heard two knocks against the door. "May I come in?" Came a male voice. With wide eyes, #56 returned his attention back to #666, looking down at him, as if waiting for an answer._

_"Open the door..." #666 told him._

_Nodding, #56 climbed to his feet and turned around, quickly walking over to the door. #666 watched as #56 reached the door and opened it, allowing another trainee to walk into the room, heading for #666's bed. The trainee's hair was not visible, but his green eyes were easy to see. In his hand, he held a notebook, which he handed down to #666 as he reached the bed._

_"I brought you your homework for Fight Training class..." the trainee said as #666 reached up and took the notebook._

_As he took the notebook, #666 glanced at his shoulder, finding the patch with the number 73 on it. "Thank you, #73." He said. "You can go now..."_

_There was no denying the disappointed look on #73's face as #666 said this. "Oh...okay..." He said, nodding slowly. "...We...Well, I just wanted you to know that I think it's a shame about what happened. During the training courses in our classes, you always seem to be the most skilled. Then, the Huntsgirl came and she showed you up. It's...really a shame..."_

_With this said, #73 turned around and started to walk away. However, he gasped as #666 lashed out with hand, grabbing $73's wrist. "You think it's...a shame?" #666 asked, lifting his head up from the pillow._

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_In Dragon Slaying 101, Rose and Teresa were sitting together as the robotic-armed instructor passed back papers. Teresa held her breath as the instructor finally reached the table she was sitting at with Rose, setting down the paper. As Teresa looked down on it, her eyes widened as she found that it was unmarked._

_Looking back up at the instructor with wide eyes, she was surprised to see that there was a look of pride in the instructor's eyes._

_"Well done, #101!" He told her. "That was the most detailed, skilled and professional paper that I have read yet for this course in all my years!"_

_"Th...Thank you, Master..." Teresa said, her tone hushed out of shock._

_"You keep this up, #101..." The instructor continued, wagging his robotic finger in Teresa's face as Rose turned her head to the side to look at her friend. "...And you will be going to that Graduation Right..."_

_"Y...Yes, Master..." Teresa managed again, nodding once._

_The Huntsclan instructor then turned around and walked back to the board. As soon as he reached it, he reached down and picked up the piece of chalk. He then turned around to face the class. "And now class, for today's lesson..." He said. "...Is there a weak spot in the dragon's armor of scales?"_

_LINE BREAK_

_The door to #666's quarters opened as #73 slowly stepped inside. "You wanted to see me?" He asked as he closed the door behind himself, starting to walk over to the bed. #666 rolled his head to the side as #73 reached the side of the bed._

_"You wanted to see me?" #73 asked. _

_"You said it was a shame that Huntsgirl is making me look bad..." #666 rasped before he started to cough. #73 looked down, watching until #666 stopped coughing. "...Well #56 thinks so too. He pestering me. He wants Huntsgirl out of the way..."_

_"He does?"_

_"I'm not going to go into much detail..." #666 said as he slowly started to sit up. Once he was sitting up, he pushed himself to the side so that his legs were now dangling over the side of the bed. "...But I made a deal with him. A deal to get rid of Huntsgirl. Unfortunately-" Once again, #666 was cut off by a series of four coughs and he brought his arm up to his mouth, #73 taking two steps back._

_As soon as he finished coughing, #666 lowered his arm. "Unfortunately..." He continued. "...Because of the circumstances I have been in lately, I have not been able to help him. I'm still not. I was wondering...if you would be willing to help me out..." As he said this, a small grin spread onto his face._

_LINE BREAK_

_Outside the room, #56 was walking down the hall, headed for the door to #666's quarters. He reached the door and reached out to grab the knob, only to freeze when he heard voices. His eyes widening, the trainee put his ear to the door and listened..._

_"What would be in it for me?" Came the sound of #73's voice._

_"It depends on how you get rid of her..." Came #666's reply. "...If you run her out, which I don't find possible, you get all the glory for yourself should anyone see you..."_

_Hearing this, #56's eyes widened with horror. However, he still continued to listen as #666 continued:_

_"...If you kill her, which is probably your best bet, your risk will be higher. For that..." His voice faltered, almost as if he was thinking about what to say. After a few seconds, he returned to the conversation: "...You will get to spend time with me and #56 for the rest of the time that I am here before I leave after the Graduation Rite. That should help your status after I leave..."_

_Hearing his "friend" say this, #56's eyes widened even more as he ground his teeth. "No..." He growled. "...I have to be left the most popular student after he leaves!"_

_LINE BREAK_

_Back inside the room, #73 just stare at #666 as the ill trainee sat on his part of the bunk-bed. Finally, he nodded. "Okay." #73 said. "I'll do it."_

_"Good." #666 nodded as he hopped off of the bed, slowly turning around._

_"Wh...What are you doing?" #73 asked as he watched his fellow trainee kneel down and reach underneath the bed. Finally, #666 pulled his hands out from underneath the bed and got to his feet, turning around to reveal a sheathed dagger. _

_"Do with this what you will..." #666 told him._

_LINE BREAK_

_Having had enough, #56 grabbed the knob of the door and opened it, bursting into the room, just in time to see #73 walking out of the room. #56 turned his head to the side as #73 started to walk by him, eventually leaving the room._

_With #73 gone, #56 narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists as he turned his head back to normal, watching as #666 lied back down on his back on the bed, rolling his head to the side. "Why did you do that?" #56 demanded, his teeth clenched._

_"Do what?"_

_"You got him to dispose of Huntsgirl!" #56 exclaimed. "You were supposed to do it! We had a deal! You get to slack off and still get to graduate while I get credit for getting rid of her! You promised me that I would get credit..." He pointed at his "friend" accusingly._

_"You said you want to be the one to get rid of her, you dolt..."_

_"And by that, I meant that I want the credit." #56 corrected._

_"Well, things changed when we both decided that Huntsgirl has to be killed..." #666 said as he slowly sat up, keeping his head turned so that he could look at his fellow trainee. _

_"No!" #56 spread his arms out in a dramatic fashion. "This wasn't part of the plan I won't have this!" #56 then whirled around and started to storm out of the room._

_LINE BREAK_

_Class had ended and all of the trainees were exiting Dragon Slaying 101. Rose and Teresa were the last ones to exit and they started to walk down the hall together; Teresa sighed as she looked down at the paper that she held in her hands._

_"What's the matter?" Rose asked, turning her head to the side._

_"Nothing." Teresa shrugged off Rose's concern before she stopped walking. Even though she was looking right at her, it took Rose a few seconds to realize that Teresa had stopped walking, so she kept walking on for a split second after Teresa stopped._

_"What is it?" Rose asked after she stopped and turned around._

_"I already told you that nothing's wrong." Teresa said before she sighed again. "Rose, I'm going to go back to my quarters and think about this..."_

_"About what?"_

_"About...About the Graduation Rite." Teresa confessed slowly. Shaking her head, she took a step back. "I have to think about how this is going to play out. How am I going to make this convincing?"_

_"Okay..." Rose said uncertainly. "...Will you be feeling better by lunch?"_

_"Yeah, I should be feeling better..." Teresa nodded as she took another step back. "...I'll see you there..." Then, she turned around and started to run down the opposite side of the hall._

_Rose was left watching as her friend ran away, disappearing from sight. Sighing, Rose slowly turned around and then started to walk down the hall._

_LINE BREAK_

_Rose continued walking down the halls of the Academy until she reached the doors that led to the quarters of many trainees. However, as she walked, Rose could see Huntsgal walking down the opposite end of the hall. _

_For a moment, Rose thought that perhaps they would cross paths, but to Rose's surprise, Huntsgal stopped at one of the doors and opened it, walking inside and closing the door behind her._

_Somewhat curious, Rose started to pick up her pace, eventually breaking out into a full run until she reached the door, putting her ear to it, just as she heard Huntsgal's voice: "Any sign of him?"_

_At first, Rose didn't know what Huntsgal was talking about, but then the response she got surprised her, making Rose widen her eyes. It was not what was said more than it was who said it: "Really, Huntsgal?" It was The Huntsman._

_LINE BREAK_

_Inside the room, Huntsgal was standing in front of The Huntsman, who had just gotten up from his desk to face her. "You come here every day, Huntsgal." The Huntsman pointed a finger at her. "Every day for the last five years..."_

_"Can you blame me?" Huntsgal put her hands on her hips. "The one person who knows the truth was banished! He should have been killed! Your act of mercy can come around and bite me!"_

_"It's been five years, Huntsgal!" The Huntsman exclaimed, turning back around and starting to sit back down in his chair. "He hasn't returned to spill your secret. You have nothing to worry about..."_

_"And what if he does return?" Huntsgal persisted. _

_"Then you can slay him!" The Huntsman growled in annoyance, turning his head to the side. "You can run him through like you did to my partner five years ago!"_

_LINE BREAK_

_Hearing this, Rose's eyes widened and she gasped. She still tried to press her ear back to the door again, but her eyes only widened even more as she heard the sound of footsteps. Quickly, Rose pushed herself away from the door and started to run down the hall, just as the door opened and Huntsgal stepped out._

_Huntsgal turned to the side and closed the door as she started to walk down the hall. However, as she stared down the hall, she could see Rose still running down the hall, quickly turning and running down a new hall. Huntsgal thought nothing of it at first and she started to walk down the hall._

_However, after a few seconds, Huntsgal's eyes widened as she realized what could have happened. "Huntsgirl..." Huntsgal whispered. _

_LINE BREAK_

_Leaning against the wall of the hall she had just entered, Rose breathed heavily, to the point of near panting. As soon as she had caught her breath, Rose stepped away from the wall and started to walk down the hall, only to stop when she heard quick footsteps coming from behind her._

_Slowly turning around, Rose's eyes widened and she gasped as she saw that Huntsgal was standing in the hall, hands on her hips. "Hello, Huntsgirl..." She said._

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_#73 was walking down the halls of the Academy. He stopped when he reached the end of the hall, leading to another hall that was ongoing. Right across from #73 was the large room that contained all the Huntsclan artillery. The doors were open, but there were no Huntsclan soldiers inside._

_#73 knelt down onto his knees and reached into the black pants that were part of his uniform, pulling out the dagger that #666 had given him. "I seriously doubt that this will work against the Huntsgirl..."_

_#73 then got back to his feet and started to walk toward the entrance to the artillery room, completely unaware that from behind, #56 was jogging down the hall from behind, heading after #73._

_LINE BREAK_

_"Huntsgirl..." Huntsgal took a step closer to Rose, who took a step back herself in defense. "...You weren't eavesdropping, were you?" The tone in Huntsgal's voice was dangerous, the look in her eyes told Rose that the older soldier was prepared to kill. Again._

_"I...I don't know what you're talking about." Rose lied, taking another step back, trying to hide the fear in her eyes._

_"I can tell that you're lying..." Huntsgal said calmly, taking another step toward Rose. "...Do you know how I can tell? I can tell by your stammers. I can tell by that look in your eye..."_

_"Well, I don't see what the problem is." Rose tried to sound more courageous than she was feeling as she took another step back. "Huntsmaster is on your side. He'll let you get away with your crime..."_

_"Unless you go blabbing." Huntsgal said dangerously as she took another step toward Rose._

_"No one would believe me..." Rose shook her head as she took yet another step back. "...I'm just a disgraced apprentice..."_

_"You'd be surprised at what this clan would take seriously." Huntsgal said as she took yet another step toward Rose. "Which is why I'm sure Huntsmaster will understand why I had to kill you..." With that, she grunted as she started to run toward Rose._

_Gasping, Rose spun around and started to run down the hall as quickly as she could, Huntsgal right behind her._

_LINE BREAK_

_Entering the artillery room, #73 looked both ways, taking in the entire room before he threw the dagger that he had received across the room. Then, he started to walk across the room, stopping in front one of the shelves, where there was a line of staffs. _

_"Perfect..." #73 said as he started to reach for one of the staffs, just as #56 ran into the room._

_Hearing the footsteps, #73 quickly pulled away from the staffs and whirled around, only to sigh with relief when he saw that it was #56. "Oh, it's just you..." He said. _

_"Yeah. Just me..." #56 replied darkly._

_"I'm doing you a favor, you know?" #56 said, slowly starting to turn around to grab the staff again._

_"No." #56 growled, starting to take steps toward his fellow trainee. "You're not..." Then, he started to run toward the trainee. Just as #73 was about to pull the staff off its hooks, he grunted as #56 hit him from behind, pushing him against the rack. _

_As they both fell back, the staff hit the floor and rolled across it while #73 struggled under #56's weight. "Get...off of me!" #73 grunted as he brought up his arm and elbowed #56 in the neck. Grunting, #56 flew off of #73's back and fell back onto his own with a grunt as #73 managed to get to his feet._

_Quickly, #73 rushed over to the staff and once he reached it, he bent over and picked it off of the ground, turning around to look at #56. "You're crazy!" He told his fellow trainee before he turned to the side and started to walk out of the room._

_#56 turned his head to the side to watch #73 leave before he gritted his teeth, rolling over onto his stomach as he looked at the shelf next to the one that held the staffs. On the shelf were two large silver cannon-like devices._

_LINE BREAK_

_Leaving the artillery room, #73 turned and started to walk down the hall, clutching the staff tightly. However, the trainee was completely unaware that right behind him, #56 rushed out of the artillery room, clutching the cannon-like device._

_At first, #56 was facing the wrong direction, but he quickly spun around and now looked at the leaving trainee. "HEY!" He shouted._

_Down the hall, #73 froze and gasped as he turned around to see #56 lift up the cannon, firing out a green net. #73 could only grunt as he fell down to the floor on his back, trapped in the net, the staff hitting the floor beside him._

_Shocked, #73 could only look up as #56 walked up, stopping in front of him, dropping the cannon at his side, right on top of the staff._

_"Why are you doing this?" #73 managed._

_"Disposing of Huntsgirl is my job..." #56 told him. "...You stay out of my way." Then, he swiftly turned around and started to walk away._

_LINE BREAK_

_Rose was panting now, but as she glanced behind her shoulder, seeing Huntsgal close behind her, not even breaking a sweat, she knew that she had to run faster. Turning her head back to normal, Rose quickly turned down a new hall and started to run down it, Huntsgal right behind._

_"Okay, think, Rose!" Rose said to herself as she continued to run. "How can you lead her into a trap?"_

_However, no plan could come to her, and with every step that she took, exhaustion only served to take more of a hold on her. However, she knew that she had to keep going. _

_Seeing another new hall in the distance, Rose prepared herself for another turn. Swiftly, she turned and ran into the new hall and continued to run down it, only to gasp and come to a screeching halt when she found that the hall was a dead end._

_Her heart pounding, Rose slowly started to turn around, but she was stopped when Huntsgal flew into her after jumping into the air, kicking her in the side. Grunting, Rose turned back around as she was thrown off her feet, grunting again as she hit the ground on her back._

_Opening her eyes, Rose found that Huntsgal was standing over her, kneeling down on her before Rose could even start to sit up. Quickly, Huntsgal brought her hands down and wrapped her fingers around Rose's neck, starting to strangle her._

_Her eyes wide with horror, Rose reacted quickly and brought her hands up, trying to push away Huntsgal's head. However, this only caused Huntsgal to tighten her grip, making Rose gasp out in shock as she quickly brought her hands back down, grabbing Huntsgal's wrists. As Huntsgal strangled her, Rose kicked out with her feet and tried to force her body up, but Huntsgal held on tight, keeping her down._

_"Shh, it won't be so bad..." Huntsgal whispered. "...Just give in and go to sleep..."_

_Gasping out in pain, Rose squeezed her eyes shut, wanting to fight despite her strength slowly fading. Soon, her grip on Huntsgal's wrists started to slip. It was looking like there was nothing Rose could do to save herself..."_

_"Huntsgal?" came an unfamiliar voice._

_Gasping, Huntsgal released Rose and straightened up, turning her head to the side to see two Huntsclan soldiers walking down the hall, headed for Huntsgal and Rose. "Huntsgal?" the first hunter asked again. "What are you doing?"_

_Taking this time for her advantage, Rose quickly sat up and she slammed her hand and wrist into Huntsgal's masked face, making Huntsgal grunt as she was thrown back, freeing Rose's lowered body. _

_Watching this, the first Huntsclan soldier turned his head to the side to look at his companion. "Call The Huntsmaster." He said._

_LINE BREAK_

_Rose and Huntsgal were now sitting against the wall while the two Huntsclan soldiers stood over them. As Rose struggled to regain some normalcy in her breathing pattern, Huntsgal turned her head to the side and glared at her. "When Huntsmaster gets here, it'll be over for you..." She growled._

_Rose, however, ignored this as she continued to try to keep her breath. As she did this, she stared down the hall, finally being able to see The Huntsman turning and walking down the hall. The two soldiers turned around when they heard his footsteps and they stepped to the side, allowing The Huntsman to stop in front of the two soldiers sitting in front of him._

_"What is the meaning of all this?" The Huntsman demanded in a harsh tone._

_"Huntsmaster." Rose quickly said, beating Huntsgal, who started to move forward. "I heard Huntsgal..." As she spoke, she slowly got to her feet. "...Talking to someone on my way from my class. She said that she killed your old partner five years ago."_

_The Huntsman just stared at Rose for a few seconds before he finally spoke: "She was...talking to someone?"_

_"Y...Yes, Huntsmaster..."_

_"Did you recognize the sound of the second person's voice?" The Huntsman raised an eyebrow at her, also crossing his arms._

_"N...No, Huntsmaster." Rose declared as quickly as she could, slowly shaking her head once as she hoped that her old master bought her lie. _

_The Huntsman just stared back at Rose for a few seconds, not even blinking. At first, Rose could feel her heart sinking, that terrible thought that The Huntsman didn't buy her crossing her mind. However, The Huntsman the quickly turned around to face the two soldiers, who were now standing at each other's sides._

_"Take Huntsgal down to the dungeon." The Huntsman told them. "It appears we have finally found our assassin..."_

_"No, no, no, no..." Huntsgal pleaded as she started to stand up, the two Huntsclan soldiers walking by The Huntsman, walking over to her. "...Huntsmaster, please..." Huntsgal begged as the soldiers reached her at one side each, each soldier taking one of her arms and pulling it behind her back. Then, they started to force her away._

_"Huntsmaster, please..." Huntsgal tried as the two soldiers walked her passed The Huntsman. Huntsgal fought against her captors and she turned herself around to face The Huntsman. "...Huntsmaster, you-" She tried, but The Huntsman quickly lashed out with his foot, kicking her in the stomach before she could finish, making her grunt and hunch over. The Huntsman then turned around to face Rose as the two soldiers proceeded to drag Huntsgal away._

_LINE BREAK_

_About a good hour later, Rose was lying in the Hunts-hospital, under the covers of the bed, her quarters cut off from others by curtains. Rose stared up at the ceiling as she breathed normally, only to turn her head to the side when she heard footsteps, seeing Teresa walk in._

_"Hey." Rose gave her friend a small smile._

_"Huntsmaster just told the entire school what happened..." Teresa seemed to be in awe. "...He seemed pretty ticked off that one of his trusted subordinates would do such a thing..."_

_"Something tells me that's not why he's angry." Rose muttered, looking back up at the ceiling._

_"Are you going to be okay?" Teresa asked._

_"Yeah." Rose said, rolling her head back to the side. "I'm just taking it easy. I've been told that I'll be able to leave and go back to my classes first thing in the morning..."_

_"Well, that's good." Teresa smiled._

_"Yeah..." Rose replied, once again returning her gaze up to the ceiling._

END FLASHBACK

"From that day on..." Rose told Joel. "...The Huntsman was suspicious of me. About one thing or another, The Huntsman thought that I could have been against him."

"He never found out that you lied, though?"

"Not that I know of." Rose sighed. "In fact, by the time of the announcements for the Graduation Rite a week and a half later, he seemed to have completely forgotten. But I'll never forget what happened in those few short days..."

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: Okay, reviewers. Tell me what you think, because I'm not so sure with this one. This one has the chance to possibly become my least favorite episode. So, tell me what YOU think with a review. **


	7. Chapter 7

Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Two)

Chapter/Episode 7: Huntsclan Law

"You'll never forget it?" Joel asked with a sarcastic smile. "So, I take it this in when things got really bad?"

"At the Huntsclan Academy..." Rose told him. "...Things got progressively worse. Several people tried to kill me and I got in trouble for something that wasn't my fault. But yeah. Those things were nothing compared to my last month and a half in the Academy..."

_FLASHBACK_

_All of the school's students were in the cafeteria, where The Huntsman, the robotic-armed Huntsclan instructor and a female Huntsclan master all stood together. "And now for the moment that many of you have been waiting for for a year." The Huntsman's voice boomed throughout the entire cafeteria, making Rose cringe as she sat next to Teresa and the brunette trainee._

_After saying this, The Huntsman turned his head to the side as the female Huntsclan master reached into her uniform and pulled out an envelope, which she then handed over to The Huntsman, who took it._

_"Inside this envelope..." The Huntsman continued loudly as he used one of his hands to rip open the envelope. "...Are the names of the top five students at this Academy. These top five students will accompany a group of Huntsclan masters, myself included, on a hunt. If any of the five manage to slay a magical creature, they will graduate and move on to more field work. If your name is called, you are to come up here and stand at my side."_

_There was brief pause after The Huntsman said this; a pause where many of the trainees turned their heads to the side to look at their friends. Finally, The Huntsman pulled out the piece of paper, looking down at it. Then, he began:_

_"The first student to be part of the Graduation Rite and the fifth highest rank at this Academy..." The Huntsman paused "...#13."_

_At this point, all of the trainees turned their heads to the side, even Rose and Teresa as a short girl got up from a table in the corner. As she started to walk over to The Huntsman, Rose could see that the girl had jet black hair that was in a pony tail that was just a little bit shorter than Rose's._

_As #13 reached The Huntsman's side, she turned around and smiled as The Huntsman looked back down on the paper. "#101..." He continued._

_Hearing a gasp from next to her, Rose turned her head to the side to see Teresa with wide eyes. Teresa slowly looked both ways, finally looking at Rose. "I got in?" She asked._

_"Yeah." Rose nodded, her tone happy. "Go on up there. Everyone's looking at you!"_

_"Okay..." Teresa said timidly as she slowly slid off the bench. Rose turned her head back to normal as she watched Teresa walk over to The Huntsman. Teresa stopped right at the other side of The Huntsman, turning around to look at Rose as The Huntsman looked back down at the paper._

_"#53." He said. Within seconds, Rose could see the one of the girls from the sleepover walking toward The Huntsman, stopping and turning around right next to #13. "#42." The Huntsman said._

_Hearing this, Rose turned her head to the side, along with many other trainees as a trainee wearing glasses got up from his seat, starting to walk over to The Huntsman. As he reached Teresa's side, turning around to look at the rest of the school, The Huntsman lowered the piece of paper that he was looking at. _

_"And now..." He said. "...The top student at the Academy: #666."_

_While all of the trainees around her turned their head to the side to watch as #666 proudly stood up from his seat, a smile on his face, Rose looked down at her lap. She did not look up again until she heard The Huntsman's voice again:_

_"These are the five highest ranking students." He said. #666 was still smiling as he stood in front of The Huntsman so that the entire school had to look at him to look at The Huntsman. "For at least one hour for the next few days leading up to the Graduation Rite, they will be training hard." The Huntsman then turned to the side to look at the robotic armed Huntsclan instructor, who turned to the side to face his leader._

_"Take these five to the obstacle course." The Huntsman told him._

_LINE BREAK_

_After the "assembly", all of the trainees started to leave the cafeteria. Alone, Rose was the last one to exit, but before she could turn and walk out, she gasped as she felt a large hand coming down on her shoulder._

_Quickly pulling away, Rose whirled around and backed up, only to see The Huntsman standing before her. "Huntsgirl..." He said._

_"Huntsmaster..." Rose returned._

_"Where do you think you're going, Huntsgirl?" The Huntsman put his hands on his hips._

_"Back to my quarters." Rose answered honestly. _

_"Why would you do that?" The Huntsman continued. "Aren't you aware that you are supposed to be in the Obstacle room?"_

_"What?" Rose asked, her eyes widening in surprise._

_"You're going to the Graduation Rite, Huntsgirl..." The Huntsman said calmly as he crossed his arms._

_"I...I am?" Rose stammered._

_"I thought it would be obvious..." The Huntsman raised an eye at her. "...It's a chance for you to redeem yourself after you screwed up at the Grand Equinox Hunt. It's your chance to graduate and rejoin me on the field."_

_"I..." Rose began again, but she stopped and quickly changed her tactic as she took a step toward The Huntsman. "...Thank you, Huntsmaster." She bowed in respect. "I would be honored for this chance to redeem myself. I will slay a magical crea-"_

_"Not so fast, Huntsgirl." The Huntsman's tone became a lot harsher and he held out a finger to stop her. "Some old magical creature won't do. You must slay a dragon..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_Rose silently followed The Huntsman into the Obstacle Course room, where she could see all five of the trainees lined up side-to-side in front of the Huntsclan instructor, who was handing each of them a staff. _

_"Stay here, Huntsgirl." The Huntsman said as he started to walk over to the other Huntsclan master. "I'll be right back..."_

_Deciding immediately to obey him, Rose stood completely still, staring at Teresa, who had her back to her. Rose just stared at her friend until she heard footsteps approaching her. Turning her head slightly, Rose could see The Huntsman walking toward her, carrying a staff._

_"You'll be using this." The Huntsman said, stopping in front of her and handing her the staff._

_"Thank you, Huntsmaster..." Rose said politely as she reached out and took the staff. _

_Without giving Rose a response, The Huntsman stepped to the side and then quickly strode away. Somewhat relieved by this, Rose quickly started to walk over to Teresa._

_LINE BREAK_

_Beside Teresa, Rose aimed her staff at a cardboard leprechaun that was being shot right at her. "AIYAHHH!" Rose shouted as she fired her staff, sending a blast of green plasma at the cardboard piece, blasting it to pieces._

_Teresa, who was standing with her staff clutched tightly in her hands could only watch with wide eyes as Rose jumped into the air as a cardboard blue dragon started to swing down from the ceiling. "HIYAHH!" Rose shouted as she managed to miss the cardboard, flying up over it as it continued on its way down, headed toward the wide-eyed Teresa._

_Grunting, Rose managed to turn herself around so that she was able to come down and land on the cardboard, bringing her staff down into the cardboard dragon's ear, breaking it off._

_Teresa managed to look down, her eyes still wide as Rose jumped back down onto the ground. "Why aren't you doing anything?" Rose asked her, panting._

_"Like what?" As she spoke, Teresa revealed her worried tone. "Rose, I can't bring myself to attack. Even if they are fake..."_

_"Well, they're watching you..." Rose replied in a hushed tone, slowly turning around as the floor slid open a few feet away from her, a cardboard goblin sliding up to Rose's level. With a battle cry, Rose charged for the cardboard creature, leaving Teresa alone._

_LINE BREAK_

_The Huntsman and the Huntsclan instructor were standing in a separate room behind a glass window, both of them staring at the fighting trainees. "This one shows a lot of potential, Huntsmaster..." The instructor said as he pointed out the window at #666, who was firing glowing green arrows into a cardboard dragon._

_The Huntsman turned and walked over to his fellow hunter's side, looking out at #666 as he fired another arrow, planting itself into the cardboard dragon's neck._

_"Yes..." The Huntsman replied before he turned slightly, looking at #13, who was next to #666. There was a dartboard in front of her, and she fired a glowing green arrow right into the middle._

_Without saying anything, The Huntsman turned slightly again, seeing #53, who ran toward a cardboard mermaid. However, #53 stopped herself briefly to plant the blade of her staff into the floor. Then, she flung herself at the mermaid while hanging onto the handle of the staff, allowing her to kick the cardboard mermaid, knocking it over._

_Once again, The Huntsman said nothing as he stepped to the side, looking at #42, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, counting on his fingers with a wooden unicorn behind him. Finally, the trainee smiled as she picked up his staff and got to his feet. Then he walked over to the "unicorn" and crawled under its belly, rolling over onto his back as he brought the staff up and hit the wooden creature in its stomach._

_Satisfied, The Huntsman turned his head slightly to see Teresa standing frozen in place as Rose ran toward a cardboard elf, jumping up and kicking it over. Then, Rose landed on her feet and turned around to face Teresa, who still stood frozen in place._

_"Why...?" The Huntsman muttered to himself. "...Isn't she doing anything?"_

_"What?" The Huntsclan instructor asked, walking over to The Huntsman's side. "Who?"_

_"#101 isn't acting." The Huntsman growled as he narrowed his eyes. "She's just standing there. And I'm going to find out why..."_

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_"Huntsmaster?" #666 asked as he poked his head through the door to The Huntsman's quarters. He could see that the room was dark, but he could also see The Huntsman's outline, sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. "You wanted to see me?" The door creaked as #666 stepped inside._

_"Close the door behind you." The Huntsman ordered, not budging as #666 nodded, turning around and closing the door behind him._

_Then, #666 turned around to face The Huntsman again. "You wanted to see me?" He repeated._

_"Yes..." The Huntsman replied, still not getting up from his seat. "...You see, I was very impressed by your show today, #666..."_

_"My show, sir?" #666 asked, raising an eyebrow._

_"Yes..." The Huntsman nodded once again. "...I was very impressed with your skills that you laid down on that cardboard prop during your training session today. It is no wonder that you are number one at this school..."_

_"Oh..." At first, #666 was shocked and he took a step back, but he finally managed to overcome the surprise. "...Thank you, Huntsmaster." Dropping his arms to his side, #666 bowed politely. _

_"...Which is why I called you here..." The Huntsman finally stood up and put his arms behind his back as #666 stood straight up again. "...You see, while you and the others were quite impressive, there was one that did absolutely nothing. She just stood there..."_

_"One of the trainees didn't train?"_

_"Exactly." The Huntsman confirmed. "#101 just stood there while you and the others worked hard."_

_"Huntsmaster, if you will permit me to ask..." #666 said nervously as he took a step forward toward The Huntsman. "...What does this have to do with me?"_

_"I'm glad you asked." The Huntsman told him, turning around so that his back was to the trainee. "I'm very impressed with you, #666. Now I expect you to impress me even more. I want you to spy on #101 and bring the information to me."_

_"You want me to find out why she didn't train..." A smile crossed #666's face._

_"Precisely..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_Teresa was sitting at a table in the library, all alone. She had her chin in her hands as she had her elbow on the table. However, her eyes widened and she turned her head to the side when she heard footsteps coming toward her; she could see Rose standing right at the side of the table, her mask off and dangling from her hand so Teresa could see her smile._

_"Hey." Rose said._

_"Hey." Teresa returned, turning her head back to normal as Rose walked over to the opposite side of the table, pulled back the chair and sat down._

_"You just sitting here?" Rose asked as she set her mask down._

_"Yeah..."_

_"Okay, look..." Rose changed the subject. "...What you did during training today was not smart. The Huntsman was watching us all. Teresa, I didn't write that paper for you so you could get in trouble with him."_

_"I know..." Teresa said softly, both girls completely unaware of #666 walking into the library right after she said this. However, as #666 started to walk closer toward their table, only to turn and start to walk toward the next table, Rose noticed him and turned around, staying in that position until #666 arrived at the table and pulled a chair up, sitting down._

_As he sat down, #666 glanced up and noticed Rose, who was staring right at him. "What?" He asked. "I'm not doing anything. I'm just minding my own business..."_

_"Uh-huh..." Rose replied skeptically. She then turned back around and started to get to her feet, reaching down and picking up her mask. "...#101, I think I'm going to head back to my quarters." Then, she lowered her voice to a whisper. "Come with me?"_

_Her eyes wide, Teresa managed to nod once before she got up from her chair, turning to the side as she followed Rose out of the room, leaving #666, who turned his head to the side and growled as he watched both girls leave the room._

_LINE BREAK_

_"Here we are..." Rose said casually as she opened the door to her shared room, stepping to the side and allowing Teresa to walk in. Once Teresa was inside, Rose turned and closed the door behind her. "...Amberly's not back yet." Rose added as she turned around to stand at Teresa's side. "You want to sit down?"_

_LINE BREAK_

_Outside the room, #666 quickly walked down the hall toward the door. He quickly reached it and he turned to the side, but before he could reach out and grab the knob, he gasped and turned his head to the side when he heard a voice: "What are you doing?"_

_Amberly was standing at the opposite end of the door, her hands on her hips. "Are you going to attack Huntsgirl again?" She asked. "She told me what happened._

_"I could care less." #666 replied. "I have been given an assignment from Huntsmaster."_

_"You have?" Amberly asked, her eyes wide with surprise as she pulled her hands away from her hips._

_"Yes." #666 rolled his eyes as he turned to the side to face her. However, as he stared at her, a small smile crossed his face. "Actually..." He pointed out, raising a finger at her. "...Huntsgirl doesn't seem to trust me. But she trusts you..."_

_"Yeah..." Amberly shifted._

_"Maybe..." #666 shrugged. "...You'd like to help me please Huntsmaster..."_

_"Actually, I-" Amberly took a step back as she spoke, but she was quickly cut off by #666._

_"Come on..." #666 took a step toward her. "...You love your clan, don't you? You want to fulfill your destiny, don't you?"_

_"I don't see how-"_

_"This is important." #666 told her firmly. "Huntsmaster has given me this task. How do you think he would react if I were to tell him that you were the only thing that was in the way of me and success?" As he asked this, he crossed his arms, smiling as Amberly's eyes widened._

_"Fine..." She grumbled._

_"What's that?" #666 asked, his smile widening as he brought up one of his hands to his ear._

_"I'll help you." Amberly told him, her tone rising._

_"Good." #666's smile widened even more, almost ear-to-ear. "You made the right choice, #94. Now, come closer and I will tell you what you need to do..."_

_Without saying a word, Amberly took two steps toward #666, only stopping once she reached him. "Okay..." #666 continued. "...Your task is very simple. All you have to do is go in there and listen to them talk. Either when #101 leaves or in the morning, you report to me. Tell me everything."_

_"Am I looking for anything specific?" Amberly asked._

_"Trust me..." #666 said with a grin as he started to step back. "...You'll know if they say anything that you think you'll need to tell me..."_

_"Wait..." Amberly tried to say, still having one more question. However, before she could finish, #666 turned around and started to run down the hall. Sighing, Amberly turned and reached for the knob, turning it and pushing the door open. As she stepped inside, she could see that Rose and Teresa were both sitting on the bottom bunk, talking. As they heard the door creaking, they both turned their heads back to normal. _

_"Hey." Rose greeted Amberly. "You done with your classes for the day?"_

_"Yeah..." Amberly said, closing the door behind her with her fit. "...I'm actually kinda tired..."_

_"Oh..." Rose's eyes widened. "...Do...Do you want us to move?"_

_"No." Amberly shook her head once as she started to walk over to the bed. "I'll use the top..."_

_"Alright..." Rose said, turning her head to the side as she watched Amberly climb up to the top bunk. As soon as Amberly reached the top, Rose turned her head in the opposite direction to look at Teresa._

_Teresa started to open her mouth, but Rose held up a hand, silencing her until she heard a flop coming from the top bunk. "Okay..." Rose said in a near whisper. "...But we have to be quiet..."_

_Nodding in understanding, Teresa spoke softly when she opened her mouth: "Do you really think that I could get in trouble with The Huntsman?"_

_"It's possible." Rose whispered back. "If he saw you, then yes. Chances are, he did see you..."_

_"So, I'll most likely get in trouble?" Teresa's eyes widened. "Rose, I don't want to get in trouble."_

_"Then you should have trained." Rose replied, sympathy obvious in her hushed tone._

_"Rose, you know me..." Teresa continued. "...I can't attack magical creatures. I'm not a killer..."_

_From up above, Amberly's eyes widened as she gasped. "Rose..." She whispered. "...How can you condone this?"_

_From below, neither Rose nor Teresa had heard her. "I know..." Rose continued. "...But those aren't magical creatures. Those aren't real, Teresa..."_

_"It doesn't matter, Rose." Teresa pressed, her tone rising slightly. "It reminds me of what kind of place this is. I don't want to be a killer. If I kill something, Rose, I want it to be in defense. I don't want to kill anything innocent..."_

_"But you're bring unwanted attention upon yourself." Rose explained softly, her tone rising slightly as well. "And I'm worried about you."_

_LINE BREAK_

_In his shared quarters, #666 was lying on his back on the bottom bunk with his arms folded back, his hands serving as somewhat of a pillow. However, he turned his head to the side when he heard a knock at the door. "Who is it?" He asked._

_"It's me..." Came Amberly's reply._

_Sighing, #666 sat up and got off of the bed, standing up on his feet. "Come in." He said, watching as the door opened and Amberly quickly walked in. "Now close the door behind you." #666 ordered. Nodding, Amberly turned around and closed the door as #666 sat back down on the bed. "What did you learn?"_

_"Huntsmaster is not going to be happy..." Amberly said as she turned around to face him. "...#101 is refusing to train because she feels bad about hurting cardboard!"_

_"What?"_

_"She doesn't want to slay magical creatures..." Amberly explained as she took a few steps toward #666. "...She's refusing her Huntsclan calling."_

_"What?!" #666 repeated, jumping to his feet, his tone much more stern. "Oh...Huntsmaster is going to love this..." He smiled. "...Thanks for the help."_

_"Uh, you are going to tell him that I helped you, right?" Amberly asked, turning her head to the side as #666 walked passed her, walking toward the door. "Right?" She repeated, turning around as #666 reached out and grabbed the door. _

_"Huh?" #666 asked, turning his head to the side. "What did you say?"_

_"You're going to tell Huntsmaster that I helped you, right?" Amberly asked nervously._

_"Of course..." A smile spread onto #666's face. "...It wouldn't be fair if I didn't, would it?"_

_LINE BREAK_

_"So..." The Huntsman was pacing back and forth in front of #666 in his quarters, The Huntsman's hands behind his back. "...#101 refuses to train because she thinks it is wrong to slay magical creatures..." He finally stopped right in front of #666 and turned to the side so that he was facing the trainee. "Well done, #666." He said._

_"Thank you, sir." #666 smiled as he bowed in respect. As soon as he was standing up straight again, he added: "It wasn't easy trying to spy on her, but I managed to do it all on my own..."_

_"Even more impressive..." The Huntsman told him. "...I am proud of you, trainee. You are quickly proving your worth. You will make a fine soldier."_

_"Thank you, sir." #666 repeated._

_"However..." The Huntsman held up his hand. "...I have one more task for you..."_

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_The door to Teresa's quarters creaked as #666 pushed it open. Stepping into the dark room, he quickly spotted Teresa lying on her back under the covers on the bottom bunk. Smiling evilly, #666 quickly tip-toed over to the sleeping girl's bed._

_As soon as he reached the bed, he knelt down and reached out, clasping is hand down on the girl's mouth, the force enough to wake her up. Her eyes shooting open, Teresa looked at #666 before she squealed into his hand._

_"Shh..." #666 said in a harsh whisper, but then his tone softened. "...I'm sorry if I scared you. Huntsmaster wishes to see you. Come with me."_

_LINE BREAK_

_The door to a classroom creaked as #666 pushed it open. Stepping inside, #666 stopped and turned to the side as Teresa, who was holding her breath, slowly stepped into the room._

_As she stepped inside and looked around the room, Teresa could see that it was a normal classroom. However, there was a lone chair in the front of the room, in front of all of the tables. Also, there was a screen pulled down over the chalkboard. In front of the screen stood The Huntsman._

_"We're here, Huntsmaster..." #666 said, turning to the side, making The Huntsman turn to the side to look at the two trainees. "...She's here..." #666 said as he put his hand on Teresa's shoulder, making the girl flinch._

_"Have a seat, my dear..." The Huntsman said softly, extending his arm to the side to indicate the chair._

_Breathing heavily, Teresa slowly started to walk over to the chair. As she finally reached it, she held her breath as she turned to the side, slowly sitting down. However, as soon as her back reached the chair, Teresa gasped as two steel pieces of metal, each with a blood-red sliver with a thing sticking out of the side came out of the chair, wrapping around her. With a click, Teresa sat trapped. The two pieces of metal now formed into one piece, the two blood-red slivers forming into a blood-red "H" Huntsclan symbol, serving as the lock to Teresa's restraint._

_Looking down with wide eyes, Teresa panted and struggled fiercely against her bindings, but after three tugs, she whimpered as she looked back up at The Huntsman._

_"Do not panic, my dear..." The Huntsman told her calmly. "...You are not in any danger or trouble. I merely wish to educate you..."_

_"Educate me?" Teresa asked with fear._

_"Educate you." The Huntsman repeated in confirmation. "You see, #666 here cares about you..."_

_"He does?" Teresa asked, turning her head to the side to see that #666 was now standing at the side of her chair._

_"Yes." The Huntsman repeated, once again to confirm what he had just said. "He came and told me that he found out that you think that slaying magical creatures is wrong..."_

_Hearing this, Teresa's eyes widened with fright._

_"Is that the case?" The Huntsman asked softly. "If it is, I wish for you to tell me. You will not be in any trouble and I will not punish you in any way. Is it true?" The Huntsman raised an eyebrow._

_Teresa just sat there in her chair, her eyes wide. Finally, she nodded three times._

_"Understandable." The Huntsman said softly. "Which is why I had you brought here. I'm going to show you why magical creatures need to be SLAIN." As he said this, the lights turned off and Teresa could see the screen turn blue, about to play a video._

_Then, the blue screen faded and the video started to play:_

_The video showed a rooftop. Nothing was going on, until there was a flash of yellow swooping across the screen. As the flash of yellow swooped by, flames started to come from the tip of it, going down to the streets._

_"You see?" The Huntsman quickly stepped in front of the screen. "This is why we slay magical creatures. They are a menace to the human race."_

_Still, Teresa just sat in her chair, not even blinking as she stared at the leader of the Huntsclan, who was slowly starting to realize that this was not proof enough for the girl. "Okay..." The Huntsman stated. "...Perhaps you need to see more..."_

_The Huntsman then stepped back to the side as the screen became nothing except a wave of static. However, it was only brief and the video soon resumed. However, once it did, Teresa gasped._

_In the video, a seemingly regular man was fighting beside a large and dark dragon-The Dark Dragon. However, the man was actually fighting the dragon-fighting for his life. The Dark Dragon roared as she swiped at the "regular" human, who tried to scramble back. However, this didn't work, and The Dark Dragon was able to reach out and grab the man. Just as The Dark Dragon started to lift the man off of his feet, the screen went dark and the lights turned back on, The Huntsman stepping back in front of the screen to see Teresa's horrified face._

_"Di...Did that person d...do anything wrong?" Teresa asked._

_"Completely unprovoked..." The Huntsman told her, crossing her arms._

_"Bu...But why?" Teresa asked. "Why would magical creatures do that to humans who have never done anything to them?" By this point, there were tears forming in her eyes._

_"Because they're evil..." #666 replied, making Teresa slowly turn her head to the side, only to slowly return it back to normal as The Huntsman started to walk toward her._

_"It is Huntsclan law that all Huntsclan soldiers must fight to rid the world of these monstrous beats." The Huntsman said. As he finally reached the girl, he knelt down in front of her so that Teresa could look him in the eyes. "They are monsters, #101." He said softly. "And we are doing the human race a favor..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_The next morning, Rose walked toward her normal table with her tray in her hands. As she reached the table, she could see that only Teresa was sitting there in her normal place, her food in front of her._

_Rose reached the opposite end of the table and set her tray down before she slowly sat down herself. Then, she reached up and pulled off her mask, smiling at her friend as she set the mask down. _

_"Hey." Rose said._

_However, to Rose's surprise, Teresa looked angry and it almost looked like she was glaring at Rose._

_"Teresa, what's wrong?"_

_"I saw The Huntsman last night." Teresa told her sharply._

_Her eyes widening, Rose quickly leaned forward against the table, trying to reach out with her hand as she spoke: "What happened? Is he mad at you? Are you in trouble?"_

_"Don't touch me." Teresa said forcefully, jerking back without falling off of her bench. "No, I didn't get in trouble."_

_"Then what's the problem?" Rose asked, slowly pulling her arm back._

_"You were wrong." Teresa said simply. Then, she simply reached down and grabbed her tray. Then she got up and stepped back over the bench with both feet. Then, she turned and started to walk away._

_"Wait, wh...?" Rose asked, her eyes wide. "I was wrong?" Quickly turning her head to the side, she watched as Teresa walked off. "Teresa, wait!" Rose shouted. "Come back! Wh...What was I wrong about?"_

_However, despite this, Teresa didn't listen and simply stopped at a different table and sat down amongst a different group of trainees._

_Her eyes wide, Rose returned her head back to normal and looked down at her food. "What was I wrong about?" She asked herself._

END FLASHBACK

As she finished telling Joel this, Rose closed her eyes. Joel stared at her with wide eyes as Rose opened them again, but when she did, he could see that tears were forming in them. "Wow..." Joel managed. "...I...I was actually getting rather annoyed. You kept on saying that things got worse, but they weren't too bad, but this...wow..."

"The Huntsman corrupted her..." Rose said, looking up at the ceiling. "...Just like he corrupted me when I was a child..." Then, after a few moments, she slowly rolled her eyes. "...That was more or less the end of our friendship." She added.

"I'm sorry, Rose..." Joel said sincerely. "...That really sucks."

Rose slowly nodded, but then, despite herself, she managed a small smile. "But guess what?" She said.

"What?"

"Things still got worse..." As she said this, Rose's smile faded.

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: What did you think? Please review. And for the record, yes. That video with The Dark Dragon was the same one from Ep. 12 of Season Three. **


	8. Chapter 8

Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Two)

Chapter/Episode 8: Graduation

_#666, #13, #42, #53, Teresa and Rose were all training in the Obstacle Course room. After firing a beam of plasma at a wooden unicorn, knocking it over, Rose straightened herself up and turned her head to the side as she watched Teresa clutch her staff tightly as she yelled, charging toward a cardboard goblin. _

_As soon as Teresa reached it, she planted the blade of her staff into the cardboard chest of the cardboard goblin. "Teresa..." Rose whispered softly, just as she heard footsteps and hushed talking. Turning her head to the side, Rose could see The Huntsman and the robotic-armed Huntsclan instructor walking up toward her from behind. Thinking quickly, Rose returned her head to normal and hunched over, using her staff to lean on as the two masters stopped from behind._

_"Are you sure they are prepared?" Asked the robotic-armed instructor. "The Graduation Rite is tomorrow night. Do you think these five will be ready?"_

_"Just five?" The Huntsman asked. "Huntsgirl is a sixth..."_

_"I am confident in her abilities, sir." The instructor replied. _

_"Hmm..." The Huntsman replied, turning his head to the side to see Rose hunched over and fake panting and Teresa pulling her staff out of the cardboard goblin. "...I do not know about Huntsgirl..." The Huntsman said, turning his head to the other side. "...But #101 and #666 are looking promising..."_

_"Indeed, sir." The instructor replied as The Huntsman turned around, starting to walk away. The Huntsclan instructor quickly followed suit and started to follow his leader._

_As soon as she was certain that the two were no longer near her, Rose leaned up, just as Teresa backed up. "Teresa." Rose said, making Teresa turn her head to the side, allowing Rose to see the dark look in her eyes. "What's happened to you?" Rose shook her head._

_"Nothing." Teresa told her rudely. "I just wised up. You're a naive fool if you think that magical creatures have done nothing to deserve what we bring them."_

_"The Huntsman showed you that video, didn't he?" Rose asked, turning her head to the side and starting to walk toward her old friend. "The one with the black dragon? The person fighting him?"_

_"He showed me much more than that." Teresa turned to the side as well._

_"Teresa, you have to realize that not all dragons are like that..."_

_"You mean like the one you let go?" Teresa retorted. "Oh, by the way, I'd like you to give me one good reason why I shouldn't tell The Huntsman." As she said this, she crossed her arms. _

_Rose's eyes widened upon this and she slowly turned to the side and lifted her staff back up, pointing it at a dartboard that was now in front of her. "You've changed, Teresa." She said, lowering her head sadly._

_LINE BREAK_

_#53 and #666 were both walking down the same hall; both of them on separate sides of the hall. #666 was heading toward the door that led to his room, where #56 was sitting against the wall next to it. Seeing #56, #53's eyes widened and she gasped, starting to move toward the middle of the hall, then she started to jog over to the wall where #56 was sitting._

_"Hey, #56..." She smiled as soon as she reached him, making #56 look up._

_"What are you doing here, #56?" The sound of #666's voice made both #53 and #56 turn their heads to the side to see #666, who had his hands on his hips._

_Blinking quickly, #53 turned her head back to normal to stare at #56, who was still looking at his "friend". After staring at her fellow trainee for a few seconds, she finally managed enough courage to finally open her mouth: "Wish me luck tomorrow." She said. Then, she quickly turned and ran off, just as #56 turned his head back to normal, only to see #53 was gone._

_"Well?" #666's voice made #56 turn his head back to the side and slowly climb to his feet. Turning to the side, #56 could see that #666 was still staring at him._

_"Oh..." #56 finally managed. "...I just knew that tomorrow is the Graduation Right..."_

_"That's common knowledge here, yes..." #666 nodded._

_"...Well..." #56 shifted. "...It's not too late for you to hold up your end of the deal. You could kill Huntsgirl tomorrow night..."_

_"Are you serious?" #666 asked, his eyes widening._

_"Yeah, you can make it look like an accident." #56 smiled eagerly as he took a step toward his fellow trainee. "Just fire a blast from your staff. She'll go down."_

_#666 just stared back at his "friend", a sarcastic smile crossing his face. "You forget that The Huntsman and other masters will be there. I'll be seen. Besides, I thought you wanted the glory for yourself..."_

_"I do, but-"_

_"You're not going to be there, you imbecile!" #666 growled. "The only thing that will be accomplished that way is that I will be in trouble over her demise." #666 then turned to the side and grabbed the knob, twisting it and pushing the door open. #56 then watched as #666 walked into the room and closed the door behind him, leaving #56 alone._

_LINE BREAK_

_The next morning, Rose slowly walked over to her regular table with her tray in her hands. However, as she reached it, she could see that it was completely empty; no one was sitting there. Sighing, Rose walked over to her regular spot and set her tray down. Then, she brought each of her legs over the bench and sat down. She quickly reached up and pulled her mask off and dropped it down on the table._

_Sighing, she then lowered her head._

_LINE BREAK_

_When Rose entered the Obstacle Course room, she could see that #666, #13, #42, #53 and Teresa were all already training. Rose started to walk over to her spot, only to freeze when she heard the sound of The Huntsman's voice: "Huntsgirl!"_

_Whirling to the side, Rose could see The Huntsman walking toward her, an annoyed look in his eyes._

_"Huntsmaster." Rose acknowledged, bowing with respect as The Huntsman stopped in front of her. As Rose stood back up again, she could see The Huntsman's annoyed look. "Is there a problem?" Rose asked._

_"You're late." The Huntsman told her. Rose could only stare up at her master for a few seconds before The Huntsman finally took a step back. "Don't let it happen again." He told her. He then turned around and started to walk away._

_Sighing, Rose turned back to the side and started to walk to her place. Upon reaching it, right next to where Teresa was firing glowing green arrows into a dartboard, Rose looked down and found that her staff was waiting for her. Sighing, Rose knelt down and picked it up before standing back up again. Then, she watched as a red-colored cardboard dragon slid up from a trap door on the floor._

_Suddenly, a green blast of plasma hit a wooden goblin, blasting it to pieces. As the pieces of the wood dropped to the floor, hitting the red dragon, Rose's eyes widened as she turned her head to the side, seeing Teresa turn around with her staff in her hand and a confident smile on her face. Teresa then turned her head to the side and saw the red dragon._

_"What's the matter, Rose?" Teresa asked, turning her head back to normal._

_"Nothing." Rose replied, turning to the side. "Except that you blasting those blasted things to pieces is distracting to me!" She added in her Huntsgirl tone, although her eyes showed that she regretted using it against her old friend._

_"Really?" Teresa's smile only widened. _

_"Yeah." Rose returned, gripping her staff as tightly as she could._

_"Okay, then." Teresa said. "I'll stop so that you can blast the dragon."_

_"Wh...?!" Rose asked, her eyes widening in horror._

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_As Rose could only stare at Teresa, the trainee's smile widened. "I'd like to see you destroy the dragon." Teresa said. "Come on, Rose."_

_"I-" Rose tried, just standing frozen in place._

_"Oh?" Teresa asked, putting a mock look of compassion on her face. Then, she grinned as she pointed her staff at the cardboard red-colored dragon, firing a green plasma blast at it. Rose quickly turned to the side just in time to see the blast hit it in the chest, taking the dragon's cardboard head off._

_"I'd like to see you destroy the next one..." Teresa said as she lowered the staff in her hands. _

_"What?" Rose asked, turning to the side as a wooden unicorn came sliding up from below the floor. _

_"Blast it to pieces." Teresa told her. "Come on, Rose. Show me that you've not fallen from grace..."_

_"Teresa..."_

_"Do it, Rose." Teresa said firmly._

_After just staring at her old friend for a few seconds, Rose finally sighed before she turned to the side, lifting up her staff. Rose didn't even blink as she fired a green blast of plasma, which then flew over to the wooden unicorn, blasting it to pieces._

_"Happy?" Rose asked as she lowered her staff and turned her head to the side to look at Teresa._

_"We'll see how you do when it's the real deal..." Teresa replied as she lowered her staff. She then turned to the side and started to walk away from Rose, making Rose turn to the side to look at her back. _

_"The Huntsman's corrupted you..." Rose said softly._

_"He's helped me." Teresa retorted, turning her head to the side. "He let me see the error of my ways. He showed me that I was wrong. Magical creatures aren't innocent. They're monsters."_

_"We're the monsters, Teresa."_

_"We're helping the human race." Teresa said as she returned her head back to normal. "I'm sorry that you can't see that, Rose. And tomorrow, I'm going to slay a magical creature." Teresa then started to walk away, leaving Rose to lower her head._

_"Yeah, but just wait until your prey bleeds..." Rose whispered to herself._

_LINE BREAK_

_The sun was slowly starting to set. Rose was watching it as she sat outside against the watt, right next to the doors, one of her legs stretched out while her other leg was up against her stomach and chest. _

_However, Rose was forced to turn her head to the side and look away from the sun as the doors she was sitting by were pushed open. As soon as the doors closed again, Rose could see that The Huntsman was standing with his back to her, looking in both directions._

_"Huntsmaster?" Rose asked, making The Huntsman turn around to face her._

_"There you are, Huntsgirl." The Huntsman sounded annoyed. "Come. We leave soon. I want all the trainees together at this time."_

_"Yes, master." Rose said politely as she got to her feet. _

_LINE BREAK_

_As Rose followed The Huntsman into the Obstacle Course room, she was surprised to see that all of the trainees were not training, but were instead sitting down on the floor. "Have a seat, Huntsgirl." The Huntsman said as he turned around to face Rose._

_Nodding, Rose walked past The Huntsman and started to walk over to her normal place: near Teresa. As soon as she walked by her old friend, she turned to the side, kneeling down to the floor right in front of her, making Teresa look up from the floor._

_"What?" She asked._

_"Teresa, this isn't you..."_

_"Yes, it is." Teresa said firmly. "The Teresa that you thought you knew is nothing more than a naive little girl. And she's gone."_

_"That doesn't have to be the case." Rose shook her head. "Just take me for example. I used to believe the Huntsclan. I used to think that magical creatures were sick and nasty. Now I don't."_

_Teresa just stared back at Rose for a few seconds, her eyes darkening. "Well..." She finally said. "...Maybe you need to stop thinking like a traitor, then."_

_LINE BREAK_

_The sun had gone completely down over the Huntsclan Academy. With a whooshing sound coming from the doors, The Huntsman and two other uniformed Huntsclan soldiers walked into the room, all three of them carrying staffs. _

_As soon as they saw their superiors enter, #666, #13, #42, #53 and Teresa all stood up, leaving Rose the only one on the floor, her back to her superiors. However, Rose quickly got the hint and she quickly got to her feet, turning around to see the three Huntsclan masters._

_"Tonight..." The Huntsman's voice boomed. "...You six have a chance to move on from this Academy. You have a chance to ascend in the ranks of the Huntsclan. Maybe all of you will be triumphant tonight. Or perhaps none of you will. Or maybe only one or two of you will. Whatever the outcome, it's time..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_The doors to the main building were pushed open, The Huntsman stepping out, followed by #666 and #13, then the second Huntsclan soldier. Following the second soldier was #42, then #53, then Teresa and then Rose, who gripped her staff tightly as the third Huntsclan soldier followed her from behind. _

_Suddenly, The Huntsman came to a halt, making #666 and the others halt abruptly as The Huntsman turned around to address them. "Huntsclan!" He said. "Teleport yourselves. To Central Park!"_

_The Huntsman then tapped the butt of his staff on the ground, disappearing in a bright orb of green light. #666 grinned ambitiously as #13 and #42 did the same from behind, disappearing. Finally, #666 hit the butt of his staff against the ground._

_At the back, Rose turned her head to the side to see the Huntsclan soldier behind her disappear in a bright orb of green light. Sighing, Rose turned her head back to normal, only to see that she and Teresa were the only ones left; Teresa was about to tap her staff against the ground._

_"Teresa." Rose said, making Teresa stop and whirl around._

_"What?" She demanded nastily._

_"I hope you know what you're going to do..." Rose said, and then added: "...When the time comes..."_

_"I hope you know what you're going to do when the time comes." Teresa retorted. Still facing Rose, she then planted the butt of her staff on the ground, disappearing in a bright green orb of light._

_Now alone, Rose sighed, shaking her head twice as she tapped her staff against the ground, disappearing in a bright green orb of light as well._

_LINE BREAK _

_In a bright orb of green light, Rose appeared in Central Park, behind all of the other hunters. Holding her staff tightly, Rose started to walk toward the others, but the soldier in the back turned their head to the side, spotting Rose and making her stop in her tracks. "Huntsgirl." The soldier acknowledged in a male voice._

_Not replying, Rose walked past the soldier to find that #666, #12, #42, #53 and Teresa were all lined up in-between The Huntsman and the second Huntsclan soldier. Wordlessly, Rose walked up behind Teresa and looked out into the park, where her eyes widened as she saw a herd of unicorns grazing._

_"Huntsclan." Rose quickly turned her head to the side to see The Huntsman tightening his grip on his staff as he turned to the side. "Wait for the all clear from me. Do not worry. There are plenty of unicorns for you all..."_

_The Huntsman then turned back to normal and grunted as he jumped over the bush, landing on his feet and running toward the herd. The Huntsman continued running until he got close enough to the closest unicorn, which was drinking at the river. With a grunt, The Huntsman leapt into the air and aimed his blade of his staff down. The unicorn seemed to notice his presence, as it lifted up its head and turned it to the side, looked up and widened its eyes as it released a yelp of fear._

_However, it was too late, for The Huntsman growled as he came down, landing on his feet as the blade went into the unicorn's back, sticking out of its stomach. From the bushes, #666, #13, #42 and #53 cheered while Teresa grinned and Rose gasped with horror, watching as The Huntsman yanked his staff out of the unicorn and turned around to face the others as the unicorn collapsed onto its belly. The Huntsman roared victoriously as he lifted his staff up in the air._

_Taking this as a cue to come out, #666, #13, #42, #53, Teresa and the second soldier all ran out toward the herd, leaving Rose alone, especially after the Huntsclan soldier who had been behind Rose quickly ran passed her. _

_"Teresa!" Rose shouted out of worry, and she started to jog through the bushes._

_Unbeknownst to any of the hunters, hiding in the branches of the nearest tree sat a hobgoblin wearing normal armor and a helmet, also carrying a club in his hands. He looked at the remaining unicorns before he turned his head to the side and looked down at the bushes, where he saw his six fellow hobgoblins. The first had his fists pumped in the air, revealing golden brass knuckles with four spikes on the end; he wore shoulder pads and instead of a helmet, he wore a brown cap. The second wore no armor and no helmet. The other four wore armor, but no helmets. _

_"Okay, boys..." The leader in the trees said as he looked back up and returned his attention to the unicorn herd. "...Those unicorns are all ours." However, before the leader's very eyes, he saw all the remaining unicorns start to flee as the five Huntsclan trainees ran out into the open. "What the...?" The leader demanded._

_"What do we do now, boss?" The hobgoblin with the brass knuckles asked, turning his head to the side and looking up to his leader, who was just looking out at the field._

_Finally, the hobgoblin leader growled. "Let's go..." He said._

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_The unicorns continued to gallop closely in a herd. #53 and #666 were running side-by-side as they chased after the herd. "I have an idea!" #53 pointed out. "We should split up! I should go this way." She pointed out with her left arm. "Maybe we could all gang up on them and trap them as a clan."_

_"Go for it." #666 replied in an uncaring manner. #53 nodded as she started to branch away from him. With #53 gone, #666 started to run faster as he started to close up on a running unicorn. Grunting, #666 lunged forward as he aimed his entire staff in front of himself. He flew off his feet and flew toward the unicorn that was falling behind the rest of the herd._

_With a sickening sound, the blade of #666's staff went through the creature's upper leg, making the unicorn screech as its front legs failed. #666 got back to his feet and reclaimed his staff as the unicorn continued to cry out in rain as it rolled over onto its side. With a look of indifference, #666 walked up to its head and turned to the side. The trainee then brought his staff up and brought the blade down into the unicorn's neck._

_As #666 slowly pulled the staff out of the deceased creature's neck, blood starting to pool out of the fatal wound, the trainee started to breath heavily with relief, a small smile making its way onto his face. "Yes..." He whispered, his tone increasing in volume as he continued: "...I did it. I finally did it. I am a trainee no longer!"_

_With this declaration, #666 turned to the side, only to see that the hobgoblin with the brass knuckles took one more step toward him, now completely facing him._

_Meanwhile, Teresa was running toward The Huntsman's kill. She had fallen behind, but she didn't care. There was a determined smirk on her face. However, the young female trainee came to a halt and her smile slowly faded as her boots made contact with something wet, making a splashing noise. Completely stopping, Teresa looked down, her eyes widening as she saw that she was standing in a small puddle of blood. Teresa slowly looked back up toward the slain unicorn, finding that that was where the blood was coming from._

_"Teresa?" Unbeknownst to Teresa, Rose had jogged up from behind her. Her eyes wide, Teresa slowly turned around to face her old friend._

_"R...Rose..." She managed._

_"They don't bleed when they're cardboard." Rose told Teresa, her eyes filled with worry. "Teresa, please don't tell me that the unicorn did anything to deserve that..."_

_Teresa slowly started to shake her head, but before she could even turn her head to the left side, she slowly brought up her hand to her stomach. "Teresa?" Rose asked, her voice filled with worry. However, before her eyes, Teresa hunched over and opened her mouth, putting her hands on her knees as she emptied her stomach. "Oh Teresa..." Rose muttered sadly as Teresa moaned, stopping briefly before she gagged and opened her mouth again, once again emptying her stomach._

_"Oh, Teresa..." Rose said again. "...I'm sorry you had to find out the hard wa-" However, she abruptly stopped as she saw the head hobgoblin slowly approaching Teresa from behind, a twisted grin on his face. "Teresa..." Rose breathed as Teresa slowly calmed down. "Teresa!" Rose repeated, her eyes widening as Teresa slowly straightened up, just as the hobgoblin raised his club. "Teresa, move!" Rose shouted and she took a step forward, but it was too late. Teresa was frozen in place, her eyes filled with confusion, giving the hobgoblin the perfect chance to slam his club into the back of her skull._

_With a sickening crack, Teresa was thrown off of her feet and she fell down face-first, her body starting to convulse the second after it hit the grass._

_"NO!" Rose shouted as the grinning lead hobgoblin took a step closer. Quickly, Rose raised her staff up at the hobgoblin, firing. The lead hobgoblin roared as it was thrown back over the body of the slain unicorn, where it hit the grass with a thud._

_Meanwhile, the portal opened at the edge of the grass and the unicorns started to run into it. From behind the herd, The Huntsman, a Huntsclan soldier and #42 both came to a stop. "No!" The Huntsman roared as the final unicorn ran into the portal, which vanished seconds later._

_The Huntsman growled with anger, but #42 gasped and spun to the side when he heard growls, seeing two hobgoblins, one without any armor and one with some, coming toward them. The Huntsman and the soldier turned to the side as well and his eyes narrowed. "Step aside." He said, putting his hand on #42's shoulder, making him step to the side. The Huntsman then raised his staff and fired, but one of the hobgoblins just jumped to the side._

_His eyes wide, The Huntsman lowered his staff as both hobgoblins started to charge toward them. _

_Meanwhile, #53 was walking away from where the herd escaped with a bummed out look on her face. She was dragging her staff behind her and she walked slowly. However, her eyes widened and she stopped when she saw #666 backing up toward her, struggling against a hobgoblin who had his hands on #666's staff, pushing the trainee back as she struggled._

_"#666!" #53 gasped and she started to run toward her fellow trainee, but she shrieked with surprise as she felt something grab her feet, tripping her. Quickly rolling over onto her back, #53 could see a snarling hobgoblin with armor behind her. However, before it could do any more, it roared in pain as it was hit from behind by a green blast of energy._

_#53 quickly sat up and scooted herself back as the hobgoblin fell to the grass, allowing #53 to see one of the Huntsclan soldiers and #13; #13 with her staff raised. However, at that moment, a hobgoblin growled as it hit the soldier from behind, making the soldier fall to the ground. #13 quickly turned to the side and fired her staff, hitting the hobgoblin and blasting it off the soldier._

_#53, on the other hand, managed to get to her feet and she turned around, just in time to see the hobgoblin with the brass knuckles throw a punch at #666, who quickly tried to bring up his staff to block the attack. However, when the blades on the brass knuckles hit the staff, it went through it, making the staff break in two as the blades went into #666's stomach, making the trainee gasp in pain._

_"#666!" #53 shouted, her eyes wide as the hobgoblin stepped back, #666 falling to his knees as he dropped his staff, bringing his hands to his wound, hissing in pain as his flesh touched his wound. He quickly pulled his hands away and slowly held them up, seeing his blood all over both of his palms. Slowly lowering his hands, #666 released a gargling sound from his throat as he fell forward onto the grass, dead._

_Her eyes wide, #53 could only watch as the hobgoblin with the brass knuckles turned to the side and started to walk toward her. Gasping, #53 took a step back, only to turn her head to the side when she heard The Huntsman's booming voice from a distance: "RETREAT!" She could see two hobgoblins just standing in place as three green orbs of light vanished._

_Gasping, #53 returned her head back to normal, seeing the hobgoblin charging toward her. Quickly, #53 managed to tap the butt of her staff against the grass, making her vanish in a bright orb of green light, leaving the green orbs that contained the Huntsclan soldier and #13 to vanish as well._

_Meanwhile, Rose slowly sank to her knees beside the still convulsing Teresa. "Oh, Teresa..." Rose's eyes were filled with fear as she reached for the girl's mini-mask, but she quickly stopped when she saw that the back of it was drenched in blood. Quickly pulling her hand away from the back of Teresa's head, Rose instead put it on her shoulder and grunted and she slowly rolled Teresa onto her back. As Teresa continued to convulse, Rose looked down and saw that Teresa's eyes had rolled back into her head._

_Her eyes widening even more, Rose looked up to see if any of the other hunters could help, but to her surprise, they were all gone. "Wh...?" Rose began. "...They...They left us?"_

_LINE BREAK_

_A bright orb of green light appeared in one of the halls in the Huntsclan Academy. When it faded, #53 stood panting. However, despite her panting, she began to run down the halls. Not paying attention to where she was going, she had no idea that #56 was walking with an angry look on his face in her direction until she collided with him, making him grunt and fall down into a sitting position._

_Growling, #56 looked up, but stopped before he was about to yell at her when he saw the look on her face. "You're back?" He asked._

_"#56?" #53 managed as she slowly started to calm down. "Is...Is that you?"_

_"Of course." #56 replied as he got to his feet. "Who else would I be?"_

_"#666 is dead..." #53 blurted out, leaving #56 with his mouth open, his eyes widening. "...We were attacked by hobgoblins. I saw #666 die..."_

_"But what about Huntsgirl?" #56 asked, almost eagerly. "Did she get slain as well?"_

_At first, #53 had a confused look on her face, but she then shook her head. "I don't know." She said. "I didn't see her. It's likely that she made it away safely like most of us."_

_To #53's surprise, #56 just growled as he stared at her. Rather suddenly, he then reached out and grabbed #53's staff, yanking it away from her. "Mind if I use?" #56 asked as he stepped to the side and started to walk down the hall, leaving #53 to turn around, her eyes wide._

_"Hey!" She shouted._

_LINE BREAK_

_Back in Central Park, the lead hobgoblin's eyes opened and he slowly sat up, just in time to see Rose stand up with Teresa, whose convulsing had ceased. Teresa's right arm was over Rose's shoulder as Rose tapped her staff against the ground._

_Growling, the hobgoblin leader got to his feet and started to charge, but he only managed to jump over the unicorn's body before Rose and Teresa managed to vanish in a bright orb of green light._

_LINE BREAK_

_His eyes narrowed, #56 walked down the hall, nearing the closet that he had locked Rose in. "It'll be my glory this time..." #56 mumbled, only to stop when a bright green orb appeared. As the orb faded, #56 smiled evilly as he saw that it was Rose, still holding Teresa. Rose dropped her staff on the ground as she slowly started to set her wounded friend on her back, getting on her knees as well._

_Rose slid her arm under Teresa's neck; she started to reach for Teresa's legs, but she stopped and looked up when she realized that she was not alone. "Hello Huntsgirl..." #56 grinned._

_"Not now..." Rose tried to warn._

_"No, I like now..." #56 grinned as he started to run toward Rose._

_Grunting, Rose jumped to her feet and she started to run after her enemy, leaping over Teresa and ramming into #56, who brought up his staff to his chest to defend himself. As Rose grabbed hold of the staff, starting to struggle over it, she quickly brought up her knee to his groin. As #56 grunted, Rose managed to pull to the staff out of his hands, just as #53 came running up from behind her fellow trainee._

_Her eyes wide, #53 watched as Rose spun #56 around and grabbed his arm, making him yelp in pain as she twisted it behind his back, stepping him to the side so that #53 could see both of them. "You're no match for me..." Rose growled. _

_Her eyes wide, #53 turned around just as she heard footsteps and within seconds, she could see the Huntsclan instructor with the robotic arm walking up toward her. "Master!" #53 shouted, making the instructor make eye contact with her as he started to run toward her. As soon as he reached her, #53 turned around and pointed at Rose, who slammed #56 against the closet door, making #56 grunt as he hit his forehead against the wood._

_"Look!" #53 pointed. "Huntsgirl's attacking him! You have to help him!"_

_However, instead of jumping into action, the instructor just watched as Rose pulled #56 away from the door with one hand, while using the other hand to open the closet door. She then shoved #56 into the closet, who fell to the floor as Rose stepped in, looking around the room, her eyes falling on the ropes in the corner._

_"Very interesting..." The instructor muttered. "...Very talented. That she is..."_

_"What?" #53's eyes widened even more as she turned her head to the side. "Talented? She's attacking hi-" However, she stopped as the instructor put his hand on her shoulder._

_"Come with me..." The instructor told her sternly, turning his head to the side and looking down at her. "...Thank you for showing me this, #53, but I think you need to learn to not try to stop a soldier when they are proving their worth to a superior..."_

_Completely unaware of the two other hunters, Rose grunted as she finished tying the knots to the ropes that were now around #56's wrists and ankles, now holding him in a hogtie. As she got to her feet, Rose looked down at #56's face to see that his eyes were closed. He was unconscious._

_"Sweet dreams, you jerk." Rose growled. "Maybe when you wake up, you'll realize the irony in your predicament." Rose then turned to the side and walked out of the closet. She then turned around and closed the door, leaving her defeated enemy in darkness._

_LINE BREAK_

_Panting, Rose, who was now holding Teresa in a bridal position, rushed into the hospital. Stepping inside, she quickly looked around, shouting at the top of her lungs: "I NEED A LITTLE HELP HERE!"_

_"Huntsgirl?" With a gasp, Rose turned her head back to normal to see the Hunts-nurse walking up toward her. "Huntsgirl, what's-?"_

_"She needs help..." Rose said urgently, taking a step toward the Hunts-nurse. "...She's hurt badly!"_

_"Okay." The Hunts-nurse said after only one glimpse at Teresa's limp form. "Hand her over..." Rose did as she was told as soon as the Hunts-nurse stepped up right in front of her. The Hunts-nurse took Teresa in the same position that Rose had held her in. She then turned and started to walk her over to the nearest bed, which also happened to be the first one in the room._

_LINE BREAK_

_The next morning, Rose was heading toward the Hunts-hospital. #53 was on her knees in the hall using a sponge to scrub the floor with a bucket in front of her. As Rose walked passed her, #53 looked up and scowled, but Rose did not notice._

_Instead, Rose turned and walked into the Hunts-hospital. Upon stepping in, she could see that the curtains were in use, shielding Teresa's bed from view. Taking a deep breath, Rose started to walk toward the curtains and she pushed passed them, stepping into Teresa's area, only to see that the Hunts-nurse was standing by her._

_Upon hearing Rose enter, the Hunts-nurse turned around and took a step, allowing Rose to see that the sheets of the bed were completely pulled up, covering Teresa's entire body. "Wh-No!" Rose gasped, her eyes widening._

_"Huntsgirl..." The Hunts-nurse shook her head sadly. "...She passed away sometime during the night. I found her about an hour ago when I first got here..."_

_"No..." Rose could only mutter as she stepped over to the bed. Once she arrived at the bed, she fell to her knees, her head lowered._

_"Perhaps it's better this way..." The Hunts-nurse continued. "...She wouldn't have recovered. At best, she would have had severe brain damage. At worst...in a vegetative state...I'll leave you alone." She then turned to the side and walked away, pushing by the curtains, leaving Rose alone._

_Rose remained in her melancholy position, even as footsteps could be heard and a large shadow could be seen from behind the curtain. Even as the curtains got pulled down, Rose still didn't budge until she felt a robotic hand touch her shoulder._

_Gasping, Rose looked up and turned her head to the side, looking up even more to see the Huntsclan instructor with his head turned and lowered. "I saw what you did last night." He said. "What you did to #56..."_

_"Really?" Rose asked, her tone devoid of worry, just full of despair._

_"Yes..." The instructor continued. "...And I was very impressed. I was even more impressed when I saw you go back for this girl. You-"_

_"I didn't save her." Rose told him. _

_"If it means anything..." The instructor told her carelessly. "...You at least tried."_

_"Am I in trouble?" Rose asked._

_"No." The instructor said quickly. "As I said, I was impressed. I want you to impress me even more, though..."_

_"What are you saying?"_

_"With Huntsgal in the dungeon..." The instructor continued. "...I need a new assistant. You, Huntsgirl..."_

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: Aw, sad? Yes or no? Please tell me in a review. Two episodes left in the season. What do you think will happen now?**


	9. Chapter 9

Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Two)

Chapter/Episode 9: Planning For Destruction

In Rose's bedroom, Joel looked down and saw that Rose had tears forming in her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Rose..." Joel could only say. "...That must have felt terrible. But...maybe that hunter was right. Maybe her passing could have been an act of mercy by some kind of higher power..."

"I'd like to think so..." Rose said. "...Maybe even for me as well. If Teresa had lived, I don't think that I would have ever been able to wish for the destruction of the Huntsclan."

"True..." Joel nodded once. "...So, did you accept the job?"

"To be his assistant?" Rose asked, a small smile crossing her face slowly. "I told him to give me some time to think about it..."

"I bet he wasn't very happy..." Joel guessed.

"I thought he wouldn't be either..." Rose said as she slowly returned her head back to normal, looking up at the ceiling. "...But surprisingly...he was absolutely fine with it. To answer your question, though. Yeah, I took it. I lasted one day before the depression and guilt hit. So, I took it."

"So..." Joel guessed. "...Things still got worse?"

"No, that was as bad as things got." Rose said, slowly rolling her head back to the side. "But they were still bad. They were nowhere near from over. I still had over a month left in the Academy. That month was pretty bad. I just couldn't get over Teresa..."

_FLASHBACK_

_Rose was lying on her back on the bottom bunk of the bed she shared. Her mask was lying on her chest as her arms were bend back, serving as somewhat of second pillow. Rose had tears rolling down her cheeks, and she tried to blink away the newly forming ones._

_Even as the door to the room opened and Amberly stepped inside, holding a tray of food, Rose didn't turn her head. Amberly used her foot to kick the door closed. She then walked over to the bed, looking down on Rose as she looked down at Rose._

_"Why are you crying?" She asked. "It's been three weeks. Even then, you shouldn't be crying at all. It shows weakness."_

_"Is that what you think?" Rose asked with a cracking voice as she slowly sat up. Amberly stepped back as Rose turned herself around and got to her feet, grabbing her mask before it fell to the floor._

_"No, that's what I know." Amberly said as she held out the tray. "And if Huntsmaster saw you, he'd say the exact same thing. Here, I brought you breakfast."_

_"Thanks..." Rose muttered as she reached out and took the tray. She then watched as Amberly put her hands on her hips. _

_"She was a casualty, Rose." Amberly said. "Nothing more, nothing less."_

_"That's easy for you to say." Rose said as she sat down on the side of the bed, setting the tray down on her lap. "You didn't even like her that much."_

_"The Huntsclan Academy isn't a place to make friends." Amberly said. "It's a place to train so we can fulfill our destinies. We're soldiers. We don't have personal lives."_

_"That isn't true." Rose shook her head once. "Before The Huntsman sent me back here, I went to a normal school. I had friends, I had fun, I even dated."_

_"Well, it's no wonder you got sent back here." Amberly said as she took her hands away from her hips, turning around. "Hurry up. We have class soon." She then started to walk toward the door. Rose watched as Amberly reached the door. Amberly started to reach for the door, but she suddenly stopped. "Rose, I used to admire you." She said. "I don't know what I was thinking..." She then grabbed the knob and turned it. Rose watched as Amberly pulled the door open and walked out, closing the door behind her._

END FLASHBACK

"Wow..." Joel whistled after saying this. "...What a-"

"She was just uptight..." Rose cut him off, slowly shaking her head once. "...But all we did for the next three weeks was grow apart more and more. By the time it was the anniversary of Teresa's death-"

"The one month anniversary?" Joel asked.

"Yeah..."

"Just checking."

"Well, by the time it had been a month, we didn't talk anymore." Rose said. "It seemed as though Amberly never tried to talk to me. he only time she would come back to our room was late at night after the curfew. She must have been spending her time with others. But on that day, our relationship only became more strained..."

_FLASHBACK_

_The Huntsclan instructor with the robotic arm stood at the chalkboard, drawing a poorly done dragon. He was so busy that he didn't notice Rose walking up to him. "Sir?" She said, making the instructor pull the chalk away from the board and turn to the side._

_"Aw, you're here." The instructor said. "Good. Have a seat. I want to tell you what you're going to be doing today..."_

_"With all due respect sir..." Rose said. "...Do you mind if I stand?"_

_"I suppose..." The instructor replied before he turned back to the board and continued to draw the dragon. "...Today, Huntsgirl..." He told her. "...You are to-"_

_"Actually, sir..." Rose wrapped her arms around her stomach. "...I wanted to ask you if we could reschedule. I'm not feeling my best today, sir. With all due respect, I think it's safe to say that I'm going to need my full strength..."_

_As she had told the instructor this, he had slowly turned around to face her, his eyes not showing any emotion. "Do you need to see The Hunts-nurse?" He asked._

_"No, sir." Rose shook her head as she removed her arms from her stomach, now dangling them at her sides. "I just think I need some rest."_

_The Huntsclan instructor just stared back at Rose for a few moments before he nodded once. "Very well, Huntsgirl." He said. "I will reschedule for tomorrow. How does that sound?"_

_"That sounds great, sir." Rose bowed with respect._

_LINE BREAK_

_Rose pretended to yawn as she walked toward the Dragon Slaying 101 classroom, just as the door opened and all of the trainees started to come outside. Pushing through several of the trainees coming her way, Rose could see Amberly starting to walk toward her. However, even though Amberly was walking toward her and was looking right at her, she was acting as if Rose was not near her._

_However, before Rose could say anything to her, she grunted as she felt herself being shoved to the side. As soon as Rose stopped stumbling she turned her head to the side to see a uniformed and dragon skull helmet wearing soldier stopping in front of Amberly, who looked up at him._

_"Come with me." The soldier told Amberly in a male voice as he turned around and started to walk back down the hall. Without a word, Amberly started to follow him. Rose turned around as she watched the two hunters walk down the hall._

_Curious, Rose started to follow them..._

_LINE BREAK_

_"In here..." The soldier said as he entered a decent sized room, Amberly following him inside. However, to Amberly's surprise, there was only one thing in the room; a wooden table with a small and rather thin cardboard box on it. As Amberly started to walk further into the room with wide eyes, she didn't notice Rose running by the entrance to the room._

_Breathing heavily, Rose leaned against the wall right beside the door as she listened to what was happening inside the room._

_Inside, Amberly stopped in front of the table, looking at the package. "What is this?" She asked, looking at the soldier, who stopped on the opposite side of the table, staring back at Amberly as he reached down and picked up the package._

_"This is for Huntsmaster." The soldier told her. "It's very important that he gets this. If he does not get this, he will be very angry. The contents of this package could very well mean the difference between victory and defeat."_

_After saying this, the soldier handed the package over to Amberly, who slowly took it. "Sir, do you mind me asking what exactly is inside?" She asked._

_"I already did." The soldier told her impatiently. "Plans. Now, go deliver that to Huntsmaster..."_

_Nodding, Amberly quickly turned around and started to walk out of the room. Seeing Amberly leave the room, Rose scrambled to the side to avoid being seen. However, Amberly just turned her back to Rose and started to walk down the hallway._

_"Plans..." Rose whispered to herself. "...Plans for what?"_

_Quickly, Rose decided to follow her roommate. Stepping away from the door, she quickly started to walk after Amberly. She continued to follow her, watching as Amberly turned and started to walk down the next hall. Silently, Rose turned and followed her down the hall._

_Taking it slowly, Rose watched as Amberly made it to the end of the hall and then made another turn. At that point, Rose picked up her pace and started to jog to the end of the hall. She then turned into the next hall, only to see that Amberly had stopped in front of a door to a room._

_Her eyes widening as she realized that this was the hall where The Huntsman's room was located. Quickly stepping to the side so that she was hidden by the wall, Rose peered her head out and watched as Amberly pulled her fist away from the door, stepping back just as the door opened._

_"Huntsmaster." Amberly bowed with respect._

_Although Rose could not see The Huntsman, she could still hear his voice as he spoke: "What is it, #94?"_

_"I was asked to deliver this to you..." Amberly said as she handed him the package. Briefly, Rose could see The Huntsman's hands as he reached out and snatched the package from her hands. _

_"What is this?" The Huntsman demanded._

_"I'm not entirely sure, sir." Amberly answered honestly. "All I was told was that they're plans."_

_Within just a brief few seconds, Rose could hear the sound of cardboard tearing, and although she could still not see The Huntsman, she could see pieces of cardboard dropping to the floor. Finally, she could hear his breathing. _

_"Yes..." Came The Huntsman's voice. "...Yes! Finally..."_

_"Uh, Huntsmaster?" Amberly asked uncertainly as she took a step back._

_"Thank you, #94." The Huntsman replied. "You are dismissed." The next thing Rose knew, she could hear the slamming of The Huntsman's door. Without saying another word, Amberly turned and started walking back down the hall, walking back toward Rose. Quickly, Rose spun around so that even her head was hidden by the wall as she slowly brought her foot out, just as Amberly walked up._

_Grunting, Amberly's eyes widened as she fell to the floor on her belly. However, Amberly quickly rolled over onto her back, only to gasp as Rose bent over and grabbed the collar of her uniform, lifting her up into somewhat of a sitting position._

_"What are you doing, you psycho-" Amberly started, but stopped when Rose cut her off._

_"What did you just give him?" Rose growled._

_"Does it look like I saw what was inside that box? Amberly replied._

_"They were plans..." Rose growled as she tightened her grip on Amberly's clothing. "...Plans for what?"_

_"I didn't see!" Amberly told her, her eyes wide._

_Narrowing her eyes, Rose just stared down at the nervous trainee before she finally released her. Amberly grunted as she fell back and hit her back against the floor. Ignoring the trainee's grunt, Rose straightened back up and turned around, starting to walk toward The Huntsman's door._

_As soon as she reached it, Rose nearly jumped in startled surprise as she heard the sound of evil laughter. Her eyes wide, Rose turned to the side and slowly started to walk toward the door. As soon as Rose reached it, she slowly reached out and grabbed the knob, slowly turning it and slowly pushing the door open just enough for her to see The Huntsman standing over a table, looking down at a piece of paper._

_"Finally..." He said. "...After all this time, I can finally move my plans forward..." Then, he once again broke off into evil laughter, making Rose's eyes widen in horror._

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_Her eyes wide, Rose slowly started to back away from the door, not stopping until she reached the wall. As soon as her back made contact with the wall, Rose blinked away the shock as she finally returned back to the world of reality. Quickly, Rose turned to the side and started to run down the hall._

_LINE BREAK_

_Slamming the door to the room she shared behind her, Rose allowed herself to breathe heavily as she slid into a sitting position on the floor. "This isn't good..." Rose finally muttered as she caught her breath. "...He's planning something. I just don't know what..."_

_As she thought, she managed to climb to her feet. Placing her arms behind her back, Rose began to pace back and forth. "What if this has something to do with the Magical World?" However, as soon as she asked herself this, she immediately froze and rolled her eyes. "What are you talking about, Rose?" She whispered to herself. "Of course it has something to do with the Magical World."_

_As she decided upon this, she side as she turned around, starting to pace in the other direction. However, she only managed three steps before she stopped in her tracks. "I have to tell Jake..." She whispered._

_At that moment, the young huntress groaned at herself as she removed her arms from around her back and brought them up to her head. "And just how do you plan to do that, Rose?" She asked herself._

_LINE BREAK_

_Sighing, Rose walked into the library. Quickly walking passed all of the tables, Rose made her way into the first row of books. Sighing, she turned to the side and pulled out the first book that she saw. _

_Holding it in both hands, Rose then turned back to the side and walked away from the shelf. Arriving in front of one of the tables, Rose set the book down and then pulled the chair up. Sitting down, she didn't even bother pulling off her mask as she reached out and opened the book._

_"Okay..." Rose said to herself in a hushed tone as she quickly started to flip through each page. "...Maybe this book will tell me if there are any ways for me to contact Jake."_

_After saying this, Rose remained silent as she simply just flipped through the pages. Soon enough, Rose reached the last page of the book and once she finally closed the book, her eyes were wide. "No..." Rose moaned to herself, clenching her fists as she looked up from the book that was in front of her._

_"No, there has to be something..." Rose continued as she turned herself to the side in her chair, turning her head to the side to look at the rows of bookshelves. Sighing, Rose returned her head back to normal and started to get up from her chair._

_"This is going to take a while..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_Hours later, Rose was still sitting at the table with about thirty books strewn around her; even more, the chair right next to her was pulled out and now seated fifteen stacked books. Rose's mask had been pulled off, and as she looked down, skimming the pages of the book that she now looking down at, she brought her arm up and wiped off some of the sweat that was forming on her forehead. _

_As she lowered her arm, she quickly brought it down to her stomach and pressed it there as she heard her stomach growl. "No, focus..." Rose told herself. "...Now's not the time..."_

_As she told herself this, she turned to the next page and quickly started to skim it, only to freeze, her eyes widening as she looked down at the picture on the middle of the page of a bracelet with a charm on the bottom, reading the text below it:_

_"The Dream Charm..." Rose whispered._

_LINE BREAK_

_Quickly, Rose walked out of the library and turned to the side, quickly walking down the hall with the book held tightly in her arms. However, Rose was not paying much attention to where she was going and who was in front of her; instead, she glanced from side to side rather nervously._

_As a result of this, just as Rose looked in front of her, she grunted as she bumped into another hunter. Stumbling back, Rose dropped her book, but this didn't bother her. Instead, she just gasped as she realized the hunter that she had just bumped into was The Huntsman._

_"M...Master..." Rose stammered, clasping her hands together to prevent them from trembling. "...I...I'm sorry. I...I didn't mean-"_

_"Silence, Huntsgirl..." The Huntsman held up his hand to stop her. Even though he was giving her an order, his voice was not stern and angry. It was calm. He then bent over and picked up the book from off the ground. Then, he straightened himself up again and handed the book back to Rose. "...Here, Huntsgirl..."_

_"Th...Thank you, Huntsmaster." Rose said politely as she reached out and took the book back. _

_Without saying another word, The Huntsman then stepped to the side and started to pass by Rose, making Rose turn around to watch his back as he walked away. "M...Master?" She finally managed, making The Huntsman stop in his tracks._

_Slowly turning around to face her, The Huntsman answered: "Yes, Huntsgirl?"_

_"I...I was just reading..." Rose continued, shifting nervously. "...And in this book, I came across something called a Dream Charm. It can-"_

_"I know what it does, Huntsgirl..."_

_"So you know about it, then?" Rose's nerves died down upon asking this. _

_"Of course I do." The Huntsman's voice was growing stern now._

_"Do you..." Rose asked carefully. "...Know where you can get one? Or...make one?"_

_"You should be busy on your classes, Huntsgirl." The Huntsman said sternly as he crossed his arms. "You're never going to get a chance to slay your first dragon if you think that something as silly as a Dream Charm is more important than your classes."_

_"I know, Master." Rose said politely as she took a step toward him. "I was just wondering, so...I could possibly have something to do during any spare time that I have..."_

_"Focus on your classes, Huntsgirl..." The Huntsman growled, lowering his arms and slowly turning back around to walk away._

_"It...It..." Rose started, looking down at her feet as she quickly made up her mind. Looking back up, she jogged five steps as she called out: "...Master, it's for a class project!"_

_This made The Huntsman stop and turn back around, to see Rose stopping a couple feet in front of him. "It's for a class." Rose repeated strongly, hoping that The Huntsman didn't realize that she was lying._

_"Really?" The Huntsman asked, narrowing his eyes. "Is that so, Huntsgirl? Then, do you mind telling me what the assignment is?" As he asked this, he crossed his arms._

_"Um..." Were began as she took another step toward The Huntsman. "...We are supposed to study an aspect of mythological culture. I decided to study dreams..."_

_To Rose's surprise, The Huntsman seemed to buy her lie. "Well then, Huntsgirl..." He said. "...Why don't you come with me?"_

_LINE BREAK_

_The door to a closet-like room was opened as The Huntsman stepped inside, turning on the light at he did. Following him, Rose looked around the small room. She was surrounded by shelves, each shelf containing boxes upon boxes or wrapped artifacts or even unwrapped and dusty artifacts._

_"Huntsgirl." Gasping as she heard her master calling her name, she returned her head back to normal as she watched The Huntsman pull a very small box from the shelf. As he turned around to face her, Rose looked down to see that it was the size of a box that contained a brand new wrist watch._

_"Here." The Huntsman said, handing it to Rose._

_Holding it in her hands, Rose pulled off the lid to see a Dream Charm. "Thank you, Huntsmaster." Rose said as she looked up to look at The Huntsman. "This will make the assignment much easier for me..."_

_"Yes..." The Huntsman's tone indicated that he didn't care. "...I don't care what you do with it once you're done with the assignment. Keep it for all I care..."_

_"Thank you, Huntsmaster." Rose repeated, bowing slightly._

_"Just move out of my way..." The Huntsman told her, annoyance obviously in his tone._

_"Oh..." Rose realized as she once again looked from side to side of the room. "...Sorry, Huntsmaster..." She continued as she started to back out of the room. As soon as she was out of the room, she quickly turned to the side and started to walk down the hall, allowing The Huntsman to walk out of the closet._

_LINE BREAK_

_Closing the door to the room she shared, Rose quickly walked over to the bed, setting the book and the small box that contained her new Dream Charm on her bed. She then reached up and pulled her mask off of her head, dropping it to the floor._

_"Okay..." Rose said to herself as she knelt down, allowing her to once again pull off the lid to the small box, reaching into the box and pulling out the Dream Charm. After setting down the lid, she held up her wrist and slipped the bracelet over it._

_Rose then climbed back up to her feet and turned to the side, sitting down on the bed as she opened up the book to the right page. Putting her finger down on the page, she began to read: "When wearing a dream charm, you become able to control your dreams while you sleep."_

_Rose finished reading with a sour look on her face. "That's good..." She said, almost as if she was talking to the book. "...But how can I contact Jake? Maybe there's something on the next page..."_

_She quickly turned to the next page, but to her surprise, she found that the next page had a picture of a Chimera on it. "What?" Rose asked, her eyes widening. "There's nothing? No. There has to be something..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_The sun had gone down outside the Huntsclan Academy and had been replaced with the moon. Inside Rose's shared room, there were around forty books strewn around the room. Some of them were on the bottom bunk while others were on the floor._

_The door to the room opened and Rose stumbled into the room. She was carrying four more books. Two of them were being held in her left hand, while two were being held in her right hand. _

_Slowly lifting her foot up and behind her, Rose slowly closed the door to the room. Lowering her foot back to the floor, Rose started to stumble toward the bed, her eyes refusing to fully open. However, after only three steps, Rose stopped as a long yawn hit her, making her drop her arms to her sides, the books falling to the floor. _

_After the yawn died away, Rose once again tried to make it to the bed, but just after one step, her legs gave out. Falling to her knees, Rose finally gave in to the world of dreams. Closing her eyes all the way, Rose moaned as she fell forward onto the floor, fast asleep._

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_Moaning, Rose opened her eyes and sat up. Looking around, she was surprised to see that she was not in her room at the Huntsclan Academy. She was instead in a sandy area and as she heard waves crashing, she returned her head back to normal to see that there was an ocean far out in the distance._

_"Whoa..." Rose's eyes widened, glancing down as she held up her wrist that the Dream Charm was handing from. _

_Rose then grunted as she slowly pushed herself up into a standing position. She then turned around and started to walk away from the crashing waves. "Okay, so I'm in my dream..." Rose said to herself as she continued to look around. "...But how do I get to Jake's dreams?_

_Rose continued to think as she continued to walk, the sand making a crunching sound underneath her boots. "There has to be a way..." Rose said to herself, wrapping her arms around her belly, practically hugging herself. After saying this, she took another seven steps before she came to a stop. "Okay, you're just stressing yourself out, Rose." She told herself. "What you need to do is just take a deep breath and have a seat. Maybe an idea will come to you then..."_

_Removing her arms from around her stomach, Rose took a deep breath as she sat back down on the sand. However, just seconds later, the sand that she was on started to fall away, almost as if it was being sucked down into the lower level of an hourglass._

_"Huh?" Rose asked, her eyes widening as she felt herself starting to sink. She turned her head to the side and looked down, only to gasp as she realized she was being sucked down. "WHAA!" Rose looked up and turned her head back to normal, but before she could do anything else, she yelped again as she fell._

_"WHOA!" Rose shouted as she fell into a dimly lit hall, grunting as she landed on her back, her knees pulled up, her fall ending. _

_Groaning, Rose slowly pushed herself up as she looked around the area. She was in a dimly lit hall with several doors on both ends going down the hall. "Where am I?" Rose asked as she slowly climbed to her feet._

_"I guess I'll find out..." Rose said to herself as she turned to the side, starting to walk toward one of the doors. As soon as she reached it, she looked up to see that there was a sign with a name on the door. __**Nigel Thrall**__._

_Curious, Rose reached out and grabbed the handle for the door. Turning it, she pushed open the door and found herself staring at a half-circle of pretty girls, all swooning over a boy with red hair and wearing a black tuxedo. He just smiled as all of the girls swooned._

_Finally, one red-headed girl spoke up: "Nigel, show us one of your spells!" This got more swoons and even some "Yeah!"'s from the other girls._

_"Whatever you say, ladies." the red-headed boy said as he reached into his tuxedo, pulling out a wand. The boy then pointed the wand out, right at Rose, whose eyes widened. Without saying a spell, the boy's wand lit up and a bright red light came out of it. As soon as the bright light faded, snow started to fall from up above. This just made the girls swoon even more, which in turn made the boy's smile widen._

_Closing the door and stepping back, Rose shuddered. "What the heck was that?" She asked herself. However, once she asked herself this, her eyes widened. "Wait..." She continued. "...What I just saw was so self-serving that it could only be a dream. MAYBE THIS IS HOW I'LL FIND JAKE!" She finished with a triumphant shout._

_LINE BREAK_

_Jake Long's door was near the end of the hall. Panting could be heard as Rose ran toward it. However, by the time Rose reached it, she had grown tired; stopping right to the side of the door, Rose hunched over and grabbed hold of her knees, taking deep and steady breaths._

_Finally, as soon as she had regained her breath, she turned her head to the side in the opposite side of Jake's door. Then, Rose turned her head to the other side, her eyes finally lying on Jake's door. _

_Her eyes widening with relief, Rose stood straight up and returned her head back to normal. Turning to the side, she started to walk over to the door. Once she reached it, she wasted in no time turning the knob and pulling it open, running inside._

_Rose immediately found herself in a dark tunnel after passing through the door. Looking around the area as she walked, Rose saw that there were vines all over the walls. _

_Ignoring this, Rose turned her head back to normal as she exited the tunnel. Spinning around, Rose found that she had just come out from under a bridge. Sighing, Rose turned back around and saw that she was in a park, green grasses just passed a light pole._

_"Jake must be around here somewhere..." Rose muttered to herself as she started to walk toward the grass._

_Passing the light pole, Rose silently walked along the grass for several minutes, passing by trees and even a boulder, which she had to grunt and jump over. Continuing to walk, she passed by even more trees while continuing to look around. _

_"He has to be around here somewhere..." Rose whispered silently to herself. "...He just has to be..."_

_Finally, Rose came upon a hill. Without even stopping, Rose continued up the hill, taking deep breaths as she quickly walked, not stopping until she reached the top of the hill._

_By the time she reached the top of the hill, she was somewhat tired and winded. However, she did not let this stop her. Rose looked around the area, leaving what was right in front of her for last. Finally, Rose gazed ahead and saw that there were some bushes._

_"Jake, where are you?" Rose asked, looking both way again, her voice filled with worry._

_However, at that moment, she heard the sound of a unicorn's nay, making her snap her head back to normal. Not far away, to her relief, she could see Jake, with his back to her, floating into the air in a meditative position._

_Her eyes filling with relief, Rose slowly started to walk toward Jake. "I just hope he isn't mad enough to want to incinerate me with a fireball..." Rose muttered to herself._

_Finally, she reached the bushes, but just as she took her final step, she heard a twig snapping under the weight of her boot. Her eyes widening, Rose looked out at Jake, watching as he fell to the ground._

_However, Jake quickly rolled over and sat up on his knees, looking out, seeing Rose._

_For a brief second, Rose and Jake's eyes met. But then at the next moment, Rose turned around and quickly ran._

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: Another one that is only thirteen pages. Oh well. So, please review. I'd kind of like to know if you think I'm butchering the show's canon or not. Yeah, so it's been over 2 1/2 months since Rose was sent to the Academy. Jake said it was three months in "Half Baked", so I figured that 2 months and 3 weeks was close enough.**

**Oh, and the Season Finale is coming up next. **


	10. Chapter 10

Future Dragon: Rose Long (Season Two)

**Disclaimer: I don't own AD:JL. Well, what do you know? That also means that I also don't own the episode "Half Baked".**

Chapter/Episode 10: Traitor In Our Midst

_Rose didn't stop running until she ran back inside the tunnel at the bottom of the bridge. After slowing down her pace, she finally came to a halt near where she had entered. Then, she turned around to see Jake walking inside. "Rose..." He could hear him say as he walked inside, Rose being able to see that the vines were transforming into snakes._

_"Jake, you have to listen to me..." Rose began. "...The Huntsman is planning something big; something terrible! You have to stop him!"_

_"But what about you?" Jake asked after he walked up to her._

_"You can't save me Jake..." Rose said as she started to turn around. "...It's too dangerous." Rose then started to walk away, but she stopped when she felt Jake grabbing her hand. Turning back around, Rose was just in time for Jake to reach up and start to pull off her mask._

_"You're worth it..." Jake replied as he pulled off her mask. Smiling, Rose leaned closer and kissed him, closing her eyes. However, just as soon as it had started, it stopped; Jake vanishing into thin air in the blink of an eye._

_Her lips now making contact with thin air, Rose opened her eyes to find that Jake was gone. "Jake?" She asked, her voice filled with disappointment._

_LINE BREAK_

_Back in the real world, the door to Rose's room opened and Amberly stepped inside, carrying a tray as she used her foot to close the door behind her. "Here." She said. "You're lucky that I brought this for you after what you did yesterd-" However, she stopped when she realized that the only things that were on the bottom bunks were the books. _

_Looking down at the floor, Amberly could see Rose on the floor, having rolled over onto her back during the night. Dropping the tray to the floor, Amberly's eyes widened as she quickly stepped over to Rose's side and turned to the side, falling to her knees._

_"Rose?" She asked, reaching out and putting her left hand on Rose's shoulder, giving her gentle shakes. "Rose, are you okay?"_

_Amberly's shakes seemed to do some good, for Rose moaned and tried to roll away. "Rose, you need to wake up." Amberly told her, giving her one more shake._

_Instead of waking up, Rose just moaned again. "Jake..." She moaned. "...Jake, no. You have to...You have to stop The Huntsman..."_

_Hearing this, Amberly's eyes widened and she gasped, continuing to watch as Rose tossed and turned on the ground. "...You have to uncover his...his plan..."_

_Her eyes still wide, Amberly got to her feet before she quickly turned and ran for the door, opening it and then running out without closing the door, leaving Rose alone on the floor, moaning as she slept._

_Finally, Rose stopped moaning as she slowly opened her eyes. Groaning, Rose pushed herself up into a sitting position. Yawing and stretching her arms Rose looked in front of her, seeing the tray of food in front of her._

_LINE BREAK_

_Outside, the sound of flapping wings could be heard as a male Rose-Ebony-colored dragon and a female Safety Orange-colored dragon with red hair flew side-by-side, nearing the Huntsclan Academy._

_Casting a glance at the Rose-Ebony dragon, the female smiled as the Rose-Ebony dragon turned his head to the side to look at her. "So, have you decided where we're going?" She asked._

_"I just thought that we would go for a fly..." The Rose-Ebony dragon replied, turning his head back to normal. "...It doesn't matter where we go..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_Unbeknownst to the two dragons, two Huntsclan soldiers, both with dragon skull helmets, were outside the school, talking to each other, both of them holding their staffs like walking sticks. However, when they heard the sound of the flapping wings, they both turned their heads to the side and looked up to see the two dragons flying up above._

_Their eyes widening, both hunters turned to the side without saying a word to each other. They then tapped their staffs against the ground and disappeared in a green orb of light._

_Seconds later, the bright orbs reappeared on the roof. Quickly, the two Huntsclan soldiers lifted their staffs off the roof and spun them around in the air, their staffs morphing into bows. Both of the hunters then aimed for the two dragons._

_LINE BREAK_

_"So, we're just going to fly around all day?" The Safety Orange dragon asked, turning her head to the side._

_"Is there something wrong with that?" Her companion asked._

_"No..." The Safety Orange dragon replied, just as she heard a whizzing sound. "...What's that?" She asked, starting to turn her head back to normal, gasping as she saw a glowing green arrow coming right toward her. "Watch out!" She heard her companion shout._

_The Rose-Ebony-colored dragon came to a quick halt; managing to stay in the air, he turned to the side just in time to hear a grunt coming from his female companion. His eyes widening, he could see the glowing green arrow lodged in her chest. Her eyes were wide and the flapping of her wings started to dwindle before her wings finally stopped flapping._

_"No, no, no, no, no, no!" The Rose-Ebony dragon shouted, looking down as his female companion started to fall down toward the ground. "NO!" The Rose-Ebony dragon shouted, reaching down for his companion, even though she was out of reach, falling to the ground._

_Before the Rose-Ebony dragon could move an inch, he roared in pain as he felt an arrow hitting him. Quickly turning his head do the side, he looked down to see that a glowing green arrow had planted itself in his side._

_Groaning with pain, the Rose-Ebony dragon looked up and squinted, finally realizing that there were two Huntsclan soldiers on the roof of the building he was near. However, the two hunters quickly lowered their weapons and jumped from the roof, landing on the grass. _

_Grunting in pain, the Rose-Ebony turned his head back to normal and managed to look down to see his companion's body lying on the grass below right beside some bushes. Thinking quickly, the Rose-Ebony dragon dived down, crashing into the bushes, hiding._

_Seconds later, the two hunters, neither of them carrying their staffs, approached the Safety Orange dragon, reaching the side of the bushes. "Check the orange one..." Ordered the first hunter, who extended his arm and pointed at the body of the Safety Orange dragon. Nodding, the second hunter wordlessly walked over to the slain dragon, reaching her side and turning to the side. The hunter then knelt down and put a hand to the dragon's neck._

_"Well?" Asked the first hunter, who put his hands on his hips._

_"It's dead." The second hunter confirmed, pulling his hand away before he turned his head to the side. "But wasn't there a second dragon? Where did that one go?"_

_"Maybe it fled..." The first hunter waved off, turning around and starting to walk away._

_Sighing, the second hunter said nothing as he stood back up. He then turned to the side and quickly started to walk away from the Safety Orange dragon's body._

_As the hunters disappeared from view, a rustling came from the bushes that the Rose-Ebony-colored dragon had landed in. Trapped in-between the branches, the dragon managed to lie down on his back. Quickly, he wrapped his claws around the arrow that was lodged in his side. Gritting his teeth and squeezing his eyes shut, the Rose-Ebony dragon yanked out the arrow, roaring in pain._

_After roaring, the Rose-Ebony dragon started to breath heavily, eventually rolling onto his side, hissing as his wound touched the dirt. "I...I..." He managed. "...I gotta get outta here..."_

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_Amberly was panting by the time that she turned the corner, now at the hall that led to The Huntsman's quarters. Stopping for a few seconds to take three breaths, Amberly quickly started to walk over to the door to The Huntsman's quarters._

_Upon reaching the door, the young trainee turned to the side and brought her fist up, knocking on the door twice. Within seconds, she could hear The Huntsman's voice: "Come in."_

_Quickly, Amberly reached down and grabbed the knob. Turning it, she pushed open and stepped into the room to find The Huntsman standing with his back against the wall, his arms crossed. "I was not expecting you, #94..." He said._

_"Huntsmaster..." Amberly said, her eyes wide with worry. "...I apologize if this is not the proper time, but I have something that I have to tell you." Upon saying this, she took a step toward her leader._

_"And what would that be?" The Huntsman asked._

_"When I entered my room this morning..." Amberly explained, taking another step toward The Huntsman. "...I found my roommate, The Huntsgirl, on the floor. She was asleep...and she was talking in her sleep." Taking yet another step toward The Huntsman, she finished: "What she said deeply worried me."_

_"What did she say?" The Huntsman's tone indicated that he didn't have a shred of interest._

_"She..." Amberly started, but she quickly stopped, taking a deep breath as she clasped her hands together. Then, she continued: "...She...She...She appeared to be talking to someone. About you. She was saying that that person needed to stop you and your plan."_

_After saying this, Amberly squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her fists, waiting for The Huntsman to figuratively explode. However, when no yelling came. Opening her eyes and lowering her hands, Amberly could see that The Huntsman hadn't moved._

_"So..." He finally said, dropping his arms to his side and stepping away from the wall. "...Let me get this straight: You think Huntsgirl was telling someone about my plan?"_

_"I know, Huntsmaster..."_

_"IMPOSSIBLE!" The Huntsman shouted, waving his arms down, making Amberly jump to back in fear. "She knows nothing about the plan, #94!" The Huntsman pointed at Amberly. "She isn't aware of anything. Anything."_

_"I heard her, though..."_

_"She doesn't know anything..." The Huntsman put his hands on his hips. "...She knows nothing about my plan. Neither do you..."_

_"I am aware of that, Huntsmaster." Amberly took a step back. "But please, believe me. I know what I-"_

_However, before she could finish, she spun around as the door to the room opened, the first hunter from outside stepping inside. "Huntsmaster." The hunter said, bowing in respect._

_"Yes?" The Huntsman asked._

_"There's a slain dragon outside." The hunter said as he straightened up. "I think it would be best if you come outside to take a look at it..."_

_Amberly turned her head to the side as she heard footsteps and she could see The Huntsman walking up beside her. "I'll be right out." The Huntsman told him. "Lead the way..."_

_"Yes, sir." The hunter said as he turned around and walked right back out the door. Amberly watched as The Huntsman wasted no time in following the hunter, walking by her and walking out the door, turning to the side and disappearing down the hall._

_LINE BREAK_

_Outside, three hunters, one of them being the second hunter from the attack, were all standing around the slain Safety Orange dragon. Being hidden by the branches of the bush, the Rose-Ebony-colored dragon watched them all as he lied on the ground._

_Suddenly, the first hunter pushed up to the front and stopped right in front of the slain dragon. Within seconds, The Huntsman walked up and stopped beside him, looking down at the dragon. "There was another dragon..." Said the first hunter, turning his head to the side, making The Huntsman look up and turn his head to the side as well._

_"Where is it, then?" The Huntsman asked._

_"It got away, sir."_

_"Hmm..." The Huntsman replied, returning his head back to normal and looking down at the slain dragon once more. "...Well..." The Huntsman admitted. "...That was an excellent shot..."_

_"Thank you, sir." said the first hunter as The Huntsman turned around and started to walk away._

_"Get the dragon inside." The Huntsman ordered as he walked away. "And prepare for the corpse to be skinned."_

_"Yes, sir." The first hunter said, starting to lean over._

_The Rose-Ebony dragon watched with a scowl on his face as the four hunters then each took a part of his companion's body; two of the hunters taking her arms while the other two took her legs, starting to cart her off._

_As soon as they vanished from the sight, the Rose-Ebony dragon growled to himself. "They killed my girl..." He said. "...The Huntsclan killed my girl. I have to find a way to bring them down."_

_LINE BREAK_

_It was getting to be late afternoon, and still in the bushes, the Rose-Ebony dragon managed to get back onto his back. As soon as he was on his back, the dragon reverted to his human form. He had short black hair and wore a Rose-Ebony-colored tank-top and blue jean shorts._

_Hissing as he slowly sat up, the human hissed again as he slowly managed to pull off his tank-top. Dropping it into his lap, he slowly reached down for it and lifted it up. Slowly, he then began to tear the bottom of it, making a long strip._

_Holding the strip in one of his hands, he used his other hand to throw the rest of the tank-top off into the distance. Slowly, he then used his now free other hand to take the other end of the strip. Slowly, he then brought it down to the bottom of his belly._

_LINE BREAK_

_Back in the halls of the school, Amberly was walking, a worried look in her eyes and her fingers trembling. "Take it easy, Amberly..." She said to herself. "...It's okay. Maybe she was just-" However, Amberly quickly stopped, for she saw Rose walking down the hall, heading toward her. _

_Freezing, Amberly watched with wide eyes as Rose walked up to her, stopping right in front of her. "Is something wrong?" Rose asked. _

_"N...N...No..." Amberly managed, shaking her head. "...Ro...Rose?"_

_"Yeah?" _

_"Wh...Where are you going?"_

_"To the library." Rose answered, taking a step to the side. "I need to pick up a few more books. Why? You want to come?"_

_"N...No..." Amberly shook her head before she quickly started to walk by Rose, trying to get as far away as possible._

_LINE BREAK_

_Grunting, the human formed Rose-Ebony dragon finally finished tying the strip of cloth around his waist, covering his wound. Sighing, he lowered his hands as a bright light engulfed him. As the light faded, he was back in his Rose-Ebony-colored dragon form._

_Unbeknownst to the Rose-Ebony dragon, Amberly pushed open the doors to the Huntsclan Academy and quickly stepped out of the building, starting to walk over toward the bushes. "Amberly..." She said to herself as she walked. "...Think! That person that she was talking about-she could be considering betraying the clan for him..."_

_By this point, she was right in front of the bushes that the Rose-Ebony dragon was hiding in. Her eyes widening, Amberly clasped her hands together again. "...What if..." She whispered. "...That guy she was talking about...is a magical creature? Even...a dragon?"_

_At that moment, Amberly heard a branch snap from the bushes. Lowering her hands, Amberly's worry-filled eyes started to fill with confusion as she tool one more step toward the bush. Now right in front of it, she managed to look down, only to see the Rose-Ebony-colored dragon._

_The Rose-Ebony dragon had a shocked look on his face, but the look of shock quickly faded and he growled. "Huntsclan..." Then, with a grunt, he shot up, lunging up toward Amberly._

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

_Yelping, Amberly jumped back, stumbling back before she gasped, falling onto her back. However, she managed to sit up just in time to see the Rose-Ebony dragon growling at her as he started to get to his feet, facing her._

_Her eyes wide with fear, Amberly managed to roll over and then get to her feet, panting as she ran back toward the building. The Rose-Ebony dragon's growl slowly started to die down as he watched the young trainee reach the door; he then watched as Amberly pulled the door open and ran inside. _

_As soon as the trainee was gone, the Rose-Ebony dragon closed his eyes as he sighed, trying to calm himself._

_LINE BREAK_

_As the door closed behind her, Amberly turned and started to run down the hall, only to grunt and come to a stop as she bumped into someone. As Amberly stumbled back, she could hear a soft grunt as five books fell to the floor._

_Looking ahead of her, Amberly could see Rose bending over to pick up the books. As Rose reached out for one, Amberly watched as Rose looked up to look at her, a look of annoyance in the older girl's eyes. "You can help me, you know?"_

_"Sorry..." Amberly said softly, slowly starting to walk over to her roommate. As soon as she reached Rose, she knelt down, and looked down as she picked up a book. However, she gasped when she saw the title: __**Dream Doors**__._

_LINE BREAK_

_Sitting in the library alone, Amberly was nearly shaking. "C...Calm down, Amberly..." She told herself, slowly wrapping her arms around her own belly. "...Sh...She's...go...going to betray the clan. We...We're all going to go down..."_

_However, just seconds later, her eyes widened and she gasped. "...But..." She whispered softly. "...Maybe...Maybe there is a way to save myself if she betrays us to the dragons..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_It was pitch black outside as Amberly pushed open the doors to the Huntsclan Academy. Holding her breath, Amberly slowly and carefully started to walk toward the bush. As soon as she reached it, she stopped, taking a deep breath before she opened her mouth: "Dragon." She said softly, making sure that there was no contempt in her tone._

_Quickly, she heard rustling, and the Rose-Ebony dragon slowly stood up, facing her. "You again?" He growled, clenching his fists. "What do you want?"_

_"Please..." Amberly begged softly, slowly getting down onto her knees. "...Don't hurt me. I wanted to talk to you..."_

_"A slayer wanted to talk to me?" The Rose-Ebony raised an eyebrow._

_"...There's a traitor in the clan..." Amberly explained. "...And our leader is planning something. I have reason to believe that this soldier might betray us to your kind. Please...I don't want any ill-fate to befall me. I-I want to make a deal with you..."_

_"A deal?" The Rose-Ebony dragon asked, his eyes widening. However, a smile soon broke out onto his face. "Well, maybe you can. So...you say he's planning something. Do you know what?"_

_"No..." Amberly shook her head. "...But...I can find out...I can."_

_The Rose-Ebony dragon just stared back at the young trainee, crossing his arms. Slowly getting to her feet, Amberly nervously spoke again: "All I nee...need to know i...is that once you tell the...the rest of the dragons this, you'll exclude me."_

_"Well..." The Rose-Ebony dragon replied. "...I'd say that that depends on what you bring me. I want to bring down the Huntsclan, not have my time wasted..."_

_Nodding quickly, Amberly took two steps back. "I can bring you his plan." She told him. "I'll just need some time. How much time can you give me?"_

_"I don't have too long..." The Rose-Ebony dragon said, glancing down at the cloth that was still wrapped around his waist. Looking back up at the young trainee, he narrowed his eyes. "...How about a day? Bring me his plans by tomorrow night, and we got ourselves a deal..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_The next afternoon, the door to Dragon Slaying 101 opened as several of the students walked out. In the back of the crowd, as Amberly started to walk down the hall, she turned her head to the side, watching Rose walking down the other end of the hall._

_Sighing, Amberly turned her head back to normal and continued walking down the hall._

_LINE BREAK_

_Opening the door to the room she shared, Rose sighed with relief as she stepped inside, using her foot to close the door behind her. "Finally..." She said to herself, starting to walk over to the bunk-bed, where only five books were stacked together on the bed._

_Reaching the bed, Rose reached up and pulled off her mask, dropping it on the bed as she reached down and picked up the books. "...Maybe I can finally learn more about that corridor..." Rose said as she held up the books._

_LINE BREAK_

_Holding onto the books, Rose turned around a corner, finding herself in an artillery room, with several mêlée weapons on the walls. "Hopefully I won't be bothered in here..." Rose muttered as she continued to walk through the room._

_Finally, Rose reached the end of the room. At the corner of the room, Rose turned to the side and started to lower herself down into a sitting position against the wall, setting the books down at her side. However, she then picked up the very top book and held it over her lap as she brought her legs up._

_She then opened the book and started to read it._

_LINE BREAK_

_Breathing heavily, Amberly turned around the corner and slowly started to walk down the hall that The Huntsman's quarters was located. As she reached the door, the young trainee took a deep breath and then turned to the side, reaching out for the knob._

_Pushing the door open, Amberly stepped inside. Relieved to find that The Huntsman was not inside, Amberly turned to the side and slowly closed the door behind her. She then turned back around and started to look around._

_"I should try the desk first..." Amberly whispered to herself as she turned to the side and slowly started to walk over to the desk that was at the side of the room. _

_Once she reached the desk, which was filled with loose papers, Amberly put her hands down and started to sort through the papers. Almost immediately after spreading some papers apart, Amberly found the small, opened cardboard box._

_Her eyes, wide, Amberly took it and lifted it up off of the table. She then reached into the box and pulled out a folded piece of paper._

_"This is it?" Amberly asked, dropping the cardboard back onto the desk as she took the piece of paper in both of her hands. Unfolding it, she looked at the writing, reading out loud: "Huntsmaster, I know you will pleased to hear that the tenth Aztec Skull has been recovered..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_Sighing, Rose closed the book that she had finished reading. "Nothing..." Rose muttered, pressing the back of her skull up against the wall as she tossed the book across the room, where it landed next to three other of the books._

_Sighing, Rose pulled her head away from the wall and turned it to the side, looking down at the final book: __**Dream Doors**__. Wordlessly, Rose reached down and picked it up, holding it over her lap as she opened it and started to read it._

_Turning to the next page, Rose started to lower the book into her lap to make it more comfortable. Turning the page again, Rose skimmed the page and then turned it. "Aw, here we go..." She said as she looked at the next page._

_Silently, she began to read the section. However, unbeknownst to her as she read, a portal started to form against the wall. Within a few seconds, the portal was completely formed, showing the yard of Fillmore Middle School._

_However, Rose was completely oblivious to this, until she heard a strange "zinging" sound, making her look up from her book. Turning her head to the side, a smile appeared on her face. Jake was standing on the other side of the portal, his hand near the portal._

_"Jake?" She asked happily, closing her book. However, Jake quickly pulled his hand away as the sound of terrified screams could be heard from his realm. Dropping the book to her side, Rose pushed herself to the side and sat on her knees, looking right at him as Jake turned his attention back to her._

_However, he quickly turned his head to the side and that was when Rose noticed that there was a second portal showing a Krylock Demon right across from hers. Finally, Jake turned his attention back to Rose. "I'm sorry." He finally said, quickly turning away and running into the next portal._

_With wide eyes, Rose could only watch as her portal closed._

_LINE BREAK_

_Tucking the piece of paper with the letter into her uniform, Amberly continued to walk down the halls, passing by the artillery room, just as she froze, hearing the sound of Rose's voice: "No, Jake!"_

_With wide eyes, Amberly turned to the side, watching Rose pound against the wall, screaming out pleas: "Jake, come back!" She begged. "Please! I have to talk to you! Please!"_

_Turning back to the side, Amberly quickly started to walk away from the room as she could actually start to hear Rose start to cry. Slowly shaking her head, Amberly told herself: "Don't worry about her. You're going to be safe no matter what she does..."_

_LINE BREAK_

_Amberly pushed open the doors to the Huntsclan Academy and she stepped out into the early night. Walking toward the bush, she stopped and reached into her uniform, pulling out the piece of paper, finally stopping in front of the bush. "Dragon..." She whispered._

_Within seconds, she could see the bush branches move, along with the sounds that followed it. Then, the Rose-Ebony dragon slowly stood up. "Well, did you find anything?" He asked._

_"Here." Amberly said softly, handing the piece of paper over to the dragon, who quickly snatched it away with his claws. Quickly unfolding the paper and holding it up to his face, his eyes widened before he slowly lowered it. _

_"The Aztec Skulls?" He asked in a hushed and frightened whisper._

_LINE BREAK_

_Meanwhile, The Huntsman opened the door to his quarters and stepped inside, his staff being held in his free hand as he turned around and closed his door. Quickly, he turned to the side and started to walk over to his desk. However, as soon as he reached it and looked down, he could see that all of the papers were arranged differently than from when he had left._

_"Huh?" The Huntsman narrowed his eyes. Dropping his staff to the floor, The Huntsman, hunched over his desk and started to search through all of the papers quickly, many of them falling off of the side of the desk and to the floor. _

_After pushing all of the other papers to the side, The Huntsman's eyes widened. "What the...?" He asked. "...My...My notice?"_

_LINE BREAK_

_Sniffling, Rose finished stacking all five books. Holding them in both hands, Rose got to her feet. Her eyes were red and poofy from crying and she sniffled again as she started to walk out of the room. However, the second she stepped out into the hall, she heard quick footsteps against the floor._

_Gasping, she turned around, but it was too late. A large figure bumped into her, throwing her down onto the floor in a sitting position, her books landing on the floor around her. "Master?" She asked as she realized that it was The Huntsman._

_"Watch where you're going, Huntsgirl!" The Huntsman scolded her impatiently before he quickly stepped to the side and quickly started to walk down the hall, Rose turning her head to the side to watch him go._

_The Huntsman kept on walking, growling with annoyance. He was completely unaware of Rose climbing to her feet as he walked on. Turning around, Rose started to jog toward the leaving Huntsman. "Master!" She called loudly, making The Huntsman stop and turn around._

_"Master, what's wrong?" Rose asked as she stopped in front of him._

_The Huntsman seemed like he was about to tell her, but he simply just turned back around, walking away again. "Nothing, Huntsgirl." He told her. "Just go back to your quarters." However, at that moment, The Huntsman stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened. "Huntsgirl?"_

_"Yes, Master?" Rose stayed still, watching as The Huntsman turned around to face her._

_"You share your room with #94, do you not?" The Huntsman asked._

_"Yes." Rose answered honestly. "Master, may I ask why?"_

_"Do you know where she is?" The Huntsman clenched his fists and his question came out as a growl._

_"No, Master..."_

_The Huntsman said nothing and he quickly spun around, quickly walking down the hall again. Her eyes widening, Rose called out: "M...Master!" However, when The Huntsman ignored her, Rose sighed as she started to chase after her old master._

_LINE BREAK_

_"Are the skulls...bad?" Amberly asked as she watched the Rose-Ebony lowered the piece of paper. "Wh...What do they do?"_

_"Let's just put it this way: It's best that we know this." The Rose-Ebony dragon told her. "Thanks to you..."_

_"So..." Despite herself, Amberly allowed herself to smile as she took a step back. "...Does that mean that you're going to hold up your end of the bargain?"_

_"I'll do what I can..." The Rose-Ebony dragon said as he looked down at her. "...That's the best that I can give you for now."_

_Hearing this, Amberly's smile slipped slightly, but that wasn't what made her smile completely vanish; just seconds later, her smile vanished and gasped, turning around when she heard the voice of The Huntsman: "Well, well, well..."_

_The Huntsman was walking slowly through the doors of the building, his staff in his hand. "...#94, I'm surprised. However, I think I understand now. You were trying to keep me suspicious of Huntsgirl so I wouldn't suspect you as you tried to betray us..."_

_"Humtsmaster, no..." Amberly begged, her eyes wide with unquestionable terror, holding her hands up as she backed up. "...It's not-I-I was just-just trying to protect myself!"_

_The Huntsman said nothing. Instead, he just grunted as he leapt into the air, twirling his staff, making it form into a bow and arrow. Quickly, he aimed it at the Rose-Ebony dragon and fired it. As the arrow shot toward him, the Rose-Ebony dragon grunted as he lifted his tail up, and just as the arrow was about to hit him, he used his tail to slap the arrow away._

_However, he was so busy doing this that he could not protect himself as The Huntsman slammed into him, using his feet to knock him down. Standing over the dazed Rose-Ebony dragon, The Huntsman pointed the bow and the arrow down at his prey and fired, resulting in a sickening thud after the arrow hit the target._

_After seeing this, Amberly quickly turned to the side and tried to run, but after only four steps, below her, The Huntsman's staff, which had reverted back to its normal form, was swiped under her feet. Gasping, Amberly fell onto her stomach and face as The Huntsman stood over her. _

_Amberly quickly rolled over onto her back, her wide eyes filled with forming tears as she begged: "Huntsmaster, please! I'm sorry!"_

_"I'm not..." The Huntsman growled as he brought his staff up almost as if it were a golf-club. Then, he brought it down, swiftly toward the side of her neck..._

_LINE BREAK_

_Breathing heavily, Rose neared the door and the exit. Slowing down, Rose eventually broke down to a quick walk, but she immediately stopped when the doors opened and The Huntsman stepped inside, holding his staff in his hand that was visible to Rose and something else in his other._

_"Master?" Rose asked. "Is something wrong?"_

_"Huntsgirl..." The Huntsman said dangerously as he turned to the side. "...I want to show you something..." He then lifted up his other arm, making Rose gasp, her eyes widening with horror as she realized that The Huntsman was holding up Amberly's severed head by her long braid._

_"...This..." The Huntsman said. "...Is what becomes of a clan member when they betray the Huntsclan. Understood?"_

_Despite the horrified look on her face, Rose miraculously managed to nod twice before she spoke, even though her voice was broken: "Y...Yes, Huntsmaster." She said. "An...Any tra...traitor deserves to be punished. Ver...Very just..."_

_"Glad you think so..." The Huntsman said dangerously, lowering his arm with Amberly's head. "...I just thought...that that would be something that you should know..."_

_"Of...Of course, Master." Rose continued, her voice still shaken. "All slayers should know that. But you don't have to worry about me..."_

_The Huntsman said nothing. He just looked at her for a few moments before he finally turned around and started to walk down the hall. The second that The Huntsman turned his attention from her, Rose quickly turned around and put her hand up to her mouth, squeezing her eyes shut as she moaned._

END FLASHBACK

Rose sighed as she finished, slowly setting her head back down on the pillow. "Is that it?" Joel asked, making Rose slowly roll her head to the side.

"Well, of course not..." Rose told him honestly. "...But I'm tired, and that was as bad as it got. I spent my last couple of weeks exploring the Dream Corridor. Then Jake came and got me out of there..."

"Hmm..." Joel seemed satisfied, especially as he nodded his head. Then, he grunted as he slowly got to his feet. "...Well, that was very interesting. Thank you for your tale, Rose. Greatly appreciated..."

As he said this, he extended his clawed hand down. "What?" Rose asked, slowly returning her head back to normal.

"Just a simple shake..." Joel said, almost as if he was confused as to why the woman was confused.

"Oh..." Rose replied, smiling slightly as she slowly lifted up her hand with the dragon birthmark. She slowly took it and started to slowly shake it, but Joel quickly pulled his claws away, making Rose hiss in pain as his claws cut into her hand.

"Oh!" Joel's face was filled with surprise. "I'm sorry!" He apologized as Rose slowly lifted her head up to inspect her bleeding hand, the blood starting to roll down her wrist.

"I'll...I'll go get some bandages!" Joel said before he quickly turned around and started to run out of the room.

As Joel left, the door closing behind him, Rose slowly turned her head to the side to look at the closed door, her face expressing her confusion as to what had just happened.

BLACKOUT; END

**A/N: Yay! End of Season Two! What did you think? I was actually really excited to write this season, but it felt like it took forever. It's almost a relief to be done. I will admit that the reason I wrote this one was to try to answer just what the "consequence" for betraying the Huntsclan was that Huntsy mentioned in **_**Breakout**_**. Rose apparently knew, but it was never really revealed. It sure ain't blackmail. I think execution is probably the most reasonable assumption.**

**Please review. **


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